The Adjustment That Changed Everything
by Zanessalover576
Summary: Gabriella and Troy Bolton have been married for six years. Troy was currently in his first year of residency of cardiothoracic surgery and had a tight schedule. Gabriella was in law school and head of several different organizations on campus. What will happen when the couple finds out some unexpected news?
1. An Adventure We Weren't Ready For

Every student has their own life outside of school. Gabriella and Troy Bolton were no exception. Troy was completing his cardiothoracic surgery residency at the University of California, Berkeley's teaching hospital. Gabriella was in law school at Stanford and the editor-in-chief at the newspaper. They both had crazy schedules but they made it work. The couple lived in an apartment in between Stanford and Berkeley. One morning, Troy unlocked the front door and walked into the apartment. He closed it quietly. Troy looked at the clock on the wall which read three fifteen AM and sighed. He had completed a sixteen hour shift at the hospital and was exhausted and wanted to see his wife. Troy took his dirty scrubs and threw them in the washer and started it. He then walked upstairs and into the bedroom and sighed. Gabriella was sitting up in bed, reading a law book that was as thick as a dictionary.

"You know you don't have to wait up for me when I am working this late" Troy said making Gabriella jump.

Gabriella looked at Troy and smiled.

"I wanted to and I try to every time" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He walked over to the bed and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"How was your shift?" Gabriella asked.

"Crazy as usual. The interns that the chief put us with have no idea what is coming" Troy said.

"Well, he put you with them because he knows you will teach them everything there is to know" Gabriella said.

"You have to get up for work at six. I think you need to get some sleep" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Have a good day at work" Troy said.

"You too" Gabriella said.

The couple went to sleep. That is how their life had been for the last year. It was hard at the beginning for both of them, but they are starting to get used to it. At six in the morning, Gabriella's alarm went off. Troy groaned. Gabriella woke up and kissed Troy's cheek and got out of bed and got ready for work. Gabriella started her day by going to the newspaper office and signing off on the articles that had been written and sent to her after she had left the office. She didn't like bringing her newspaper work home with her because that meant less time with Troy when he would finish his shift. She then went to her first class and caught up with her cohort, who she had all her classes with and go over notes together. Gabriella was eating her lunch in her hour gap and heard her phone ring. She looked at the caller ID and smiled when she saw Troy's face.

"Hey" Gabriella said.

"Hey, how is class going?" Troy asked.

"Fine. You are going to get in trouble one of these days Troy. You can't be on the phone when you are on call" Gabriella said.

"I know. But, I've barely seen you this week Brie" Troy said.

"We knew that this was going to be hard" Gabriella said.

"But not to the point where we don't see each other or only at three in the morning" Troy said.

"We are making it work" Gabriella said.

Troy turned away from the phone and cursed under his breath.

"Hey baby, I'll call you when I am free okay? I was just checking in and a trauma just came in" Troy said.

"Go. Love you. Bye" Gabriella said.

Gabriella hung up the phone. She took a deep breath and sighed. A couple weeks later, Troy had come home to a dark house. He walked upstairs and stood in the doorway of the bedroom. Gabriella was sitting on their bed with a stick in her shaking hands. She looked up at Troy, with tears running down her face. Troy took a shaky deep breath.

"Troy" Gabriella cried.

"What happened?" Troy asked softly.

"I…I'm….pre..gnant" Gabriella cried.

A cold sensation radiated through Troy's body. He tried to stay calm. They had talked about having children, but when Gabriella was finished with law school and Troy was done with his residency. Troy put his keys and bag down. He opened his arms and Gabriella walked into them. He wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her shoulder.

"Brie, look at me" Troy said.

Gabriella looked up at her husband. Troy saw that her makeup was smudged and mascara was running down her face along with tears.

"It was earlier than we planned. But that doesn't mean that we can't handle it" Troy said.

"But I have school and a job and you have a residency that you have worked so hard for and need to finish" Gabriella cried.

"Gabriella, take a breath for me sweetheart" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and coughed. She cried into Troy's chest.

"Good baby. Take another one for me" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. Troy saw that Gabriella had calmed down a little.

Okay. Now, did you just take a test?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Tomorrow, I can set up an appointment with your doctor and we can take it from there" Troy said.

"But it's not like you can be there, Troy. I may not even be able to go. I have classes tomorrow and I have to sign off on the format for the paper" Gabriella said.

"I'll tell the chief that there was a family emergency. We have to figure this out" Troy said.

"But what if he doesn't let you off? Or there is a lot of people that come into the hospital or something? You never know what could happen. You said so yourself" Gabriella said wiping her tears that were running down her face.

"I will take care of it, Gabriella" Troy said softly.

Gabriella sniffled.

"I know you are upset and probably scared. But we just have to deal with this one step at a time" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy rubbed his wife's back soothingly.

"Everything is going to be fine. I promise" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep shaky breath and released it. Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek softly.

"How about you get some sleep okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"Everything is going to be okay" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple went to sleep. That afternoon, Troy had just finished assisting an attending surgeon and had a little break before he had to make rounds with his interns. He walked upstairs to the maternity ward and smiled at the residents that he knew. Troy walked up to the front desk and smiled at his friend, Nicole, who was also a resident and had been an intern with Troy the year before.

"Hi Bolton, what can I do for you?" Nicole asked.

"I need to make an appointment for my wife, Gabriella" Troy said.

Nicole pulled out a form and started writing down information.

"When was her last-" Nicole started.

"I don't know the details. When she comes in, she can give all that information" Troy said.

Nicole nodded and put the form and clipboard to the side.

"Okay. Let me see what is available. So, you are having a baby?" Nicole asked looking at the computer.

Troy smiled slightly.

"I don't know yet. She just took a test yesterday and it was positive. We just want to know for sure" Troy said.

Nicole nodded.

"Wednesday at eight, okay?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah. Thanks, Nicole. Don't spread it around yet though, please" Troy said.

"You got it" Nicole said.

Later that afternoon, Troy finished making rounds with his interns. He picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Hello?" Gabriella answered.

"Hey baby. How's your day going?" Troy asked.

"I'm tired" Gabriella said.

"I made an appointment for you for Wednesday at eight" Troy said.

"Can you make it?" Gabriella asked.

"I'm going to try. I haven't talked to the chief yet" Troy said.

"I don't want to go by myself" Gabriella said.

"I know you don't honey and I don't want you to. Maybe you should tell your mom so that she can go with you, in the event that I'm not there" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"It's just a precaution. I probably will be able to make it. I just have to talk to the chief and clear it with him" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

"Are you feeling okay?" Troy asked.

"A little tired and nauseated, but that's it" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled slightly.

"Okay, page me if you need me. I'll see you when I get home" Troy said.

"Alright. I love you, Troy" Gabriella said.

"I love you too Brie" Troy said.

Troy hung up the phone and went back to find his resident class. That night, Troy came home and walked upstairs and saw the bathroom door closed. He walked over to it and knocked politely.

"Brie, baby, are you are okay in there?" Troy asked.

All he heard was his wife regurgitating. He turned the doorknob and opened the door. Troy saw Gabriella hovering the toilet, throwing up everything she had eaten earlier. He rubbed her back soothingly. He picked up a hair tie that was on the counter and pulled Gabriella's hair back and secured it. Gabriella backed away from the toilet and cried.

"Shh…It's okay. I got you" Troy said.

"I-" Gabriella cried.

"I know baby. It's okay. Are you done or do you feel like there is more?" Troy asked.

"I-I think I'm done" Gabriella said shakily.

"Okay" Troy said standing up.

Troy helped Gabriella stand up. Gabriella brushed her teeth, while Troy flushed the toilet and washed his hands. Once they finished, Troy looked at his wife, who had tears running down her face and her cheeks were flushed. He then took a wash cloth and ran some cold water on it and handed it to Gabriella.

"Thanks" Gabriella said wiping her face.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

"Morning sickness is no joke. It will literally hit at three in the morning" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Come back to bed" Troy said taking her hand in his own.

The couple walked into their bedroom and Gabriella got back into bed. Troy took off his pants and shirt and climbed into bed. Gabriella snuggled into Troy's chest.

"Feeling a little better?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"How long were you in there for?" Troy asked.

"Like ten minutes when you had come in" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek.

"Perfect timing" Troy said.

"I guess. How was your shift?" Gabriella asked.

"Fine. Talked to chief and he said it was fine if I'm out for a couple hours" Troy said.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

"No problem. The residents that work in the obstetrics office were asking me twenty questions about you" Troy said.

"Like what?" Gabriella asked.

"If we are having a baby and they have to tell this person and that person. I told them that we don't know for sure and to not spread it around' Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"The test was positive and my period is late. I'm pretty sure I am" Gabriella said.

"We'll just have the doctor check it out" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She snuggled into Troy's chest.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I love you too baby. Are you feeling a little better?" Troy asked.

"Yeah, but I'm still worried about the whole going to school, working on the paper, and having a baby thing. How are we going to do that?" Gabriella asked.

"Take it one step at a time. That's all we can do right now" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple fell asleep. On Wednesday morning, Troy walked up to the obstetrics unit and smiled at the residents that were at the desk.

"Hey Bolton, your wife just got called in. Room three" Nicole said.

"Thank you" Troy said.

Troy walked to room three and knocked politely. He heard a faint "come in". Troy walked into the exam room and closed the door behind him. Gabriella already had a gown on and was waiting for the doctor to arrive.

"Hi sweetheart" Troy said kissing Gabriella's lips.

"Hi" Gabriella said.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Threw up right after you left" Gabriella said.

"How are you feeling now?" Troy asked.

"Better. How has your shift been?" Gabriella asked.

"Okay, just running" Troy said.

There was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came into the room. Dr. Fields had dark brown hair with caramel highlights. She was short and looked about thirty.

"Hi Gabi, Dr. Bolton" Dr. Fields said.

"Hi" the couple said simultaneously.

"Gabi, what's been going on? In your chart it says that you took a pregnancy test and it came back positive. You also have been having nausea and have been more tired recently" Dr. Fields said looking at Gabriella's chart.

"I-We-I" Gabriella said not able to speak because she was so nervous.

Troy smiled and put his hand on Gabriella's leg.

"What she is trying to say is that she has been having morning sickness. She also took a pregnancy test and it came back positive. We wanted to confirm that she is pregnant and how far along she is" Troy said.

Troy looked at Gabriella and winked.

"What he said" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields smiled.

"First, Gabi it is perfectly normal for you to be nervous. If I make you feel uncomfortable, let me know okay? I know that it has been a while since I have seen you" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded.

"This was just really unexpected. Troy is in the middle of his residency and I am in law school and doing a bunch of extracurricular activities. It was just really shocking" Gabriella said shakily.

"I understand. I want you to take this pregnancy test and we will take it from there okay?" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded. Dr. Fields handed Gabriella the test and left the room. Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Do you want me to go in with you baby?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head and tears ran down her face.

"Don't cry" Troy said wrapping his arms around Gabriella and kissing her cheek.

"I'm going to go take the test" Gabriella said softly.

"Okay sweetheart" Troy said.

Gabriella left the exam room and went to the bathroom across the hall and took the pregnancy test. She then came into the room and sat on the exam table.

"Did you give it to the nurse?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. A couple minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came back into the room.

"Okay. Your results just came back. Gabriella, you are pregnant. I want to do an ultrasound to see how far along you are" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded. Fresh tears ran down Gabriella's face. Troy wiped them away with his thumb and kissed her cheek.

"Can you lie back for me, Gabi?" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella lied down on the exam table. Troy took Gabriella's hand in his own and smoothed her hair back with his free hand. Dr. Fields put a blanket over Gabriella's legs and raised her gown above her bellybutton. She then turned on the ultrasound.

"How's your residency going, Dr. Bolton?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Good. Hectic. My hours are crazy and I mix up day and night all the time" Troy said.

"What's your specialty?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Cardiothoracic surgery" Troy said.

"I hope the rest of your residency goes smoothly" Dr. Fields said.

"Thank you" Troy said.

The ultrasound heated up and Dr. Fields squeezed gel onto Gabriella's stomach.

"Gabriella, are you ready?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella nodded. Dr. Fields took a wand and moved the gel around and stopped and pointed to the monitor.

"See that dot?" Dr. Fields asked.

The couple nodded.

"That's your baby" Dr. Fields said.

Tears ran down Gabriella's cheeks again.

"I'm sorry that I'm so emotional" Gabriella cried.

"Gabi, it's a little overwhelming. I get it. You weren't expecting it" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella shook her head. Dr. Fields moved the wand around Gabriella's stomach.

"You are about eight weeks pregnant" Dr. Fields said.

Troy nodded. He looked down at Gabriella and smiled.

"My birthday?" Troy asked.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"Everything looks good for right now. Let me go print these pictures out for you and I will be back" Dr. Fields said.

Dr. Fields left the room. Troy looked at Gabriella.

"You mad?" Gabriella asked quietly.

"Why would I be mad?" Troy asked.

"Because it's a lot to take on and we didn't want kids until-" Gabriella started.

"We wanted to start trying after you were done with school and I was done with residency, yes. But this is happening now. Yeah, it's a little early than I would have liked and we need time to adjust. I would never be upset about something like this, Brie. It will be hard at times but we can do it" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too. I'm scared" Gabriella said.

"I know you are baby and that's perfectly normal. Dr. Fields even said that" Troy said.

There was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came back into the room.

"Here you go. Gabi, I want to do an exam. Can you lie back for me again?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella lied back down and Troy took her hand in his. Dr. Fields spread Gabriella's legs apart.

"Just relax okay?" Dr. Fields said putting on latex gloves.

Gabriella squeezed her eyes shut as Dr. Fields performed her exam. Troy smoothed Gabriella's hair back and kissed her head softly.

"Take deep breaths, Brie" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. Dr. Fields looked up and smiled.

"Gabi, everything looks fine. I am going to prescribe you some vitamins and you can pick those up at the pharmacy okay?" Dr. Fields said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields threw her gloves away and helped Gabriella sit up.

"Alright, do you guys have any questions for me?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy, who looked at her.

"I think I'm still in shock" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Troy?" Dr. Fields asked.

"I don't think I have any at the moment" Troy said.

"Okay, I will see you next month" Dr. Fields said shaking the couple's hands.

Dr. Fields left the room. Gabriella changed back into her clothes.

"Thank you for making it to my appointment baby" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"No problem" Troy said.

"Are you going back to work?" Gabriella asked.

"Chief said that I could take the rest of the day off. He knows that this was a big thing and that I need to be with you" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Thank him for me" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I will" Gabriella said.

The couple picked up Gabriella's vitamins and drove home. Gabriella walked into the house.

"So eight weeks?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Happy Birthday Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy chuckled.

"Are you sure that you aren't upset?" Gabriella asked.

Troy put his hand on the small of Gabriella's back.

"I promise that I'm not. This is a blessing and not a curse. We made a baby. Since we first started dating we always wondered what our kids would look like" Troy said.

"Yeah, but I didn't think six years later that we would be having a baby in the middle of everything" Gabriella said.

"Let the adventure begin" Troy said.

Gabriella giggled. The rest of the day, the couple tried to come to terms with the fact that they were going to have a baby in seven months.


	2. Small Things Make The Biggest Impact

The next day Gabriella jolted awake and ran to the bathroom. Troy stretched his arm out onto Gabriella's side of the bed and when he felt nothing, he opened his eyes and saw Gabriella gone. He got up and walked quickly to the bathroom and knocked on the closed door.

"Baby, you okay?" Troy asked.

"Go get ready for work" Gabriella said.

Troy sighed. He placed his hands on the crown molding on both sides of the bathroom door.

"Brie, do you need help?" Troy asked.

"No" Gabriella cried.

Troy looked down and nodded. He walked away from the door so that Gabriella could be alone. Troy changed into his scrubs and went into the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee. Ten minutes later, Troy heard the bathroom door open and footsteps coming closer. Gabriella walked into the kitchen and pulled herself onto the counter that was across from her husband. Troy looked up and didn't know what was going to come out of Gabriella's mouth.

"I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just trying to wrap my head around this" Gabriella said softly.

Troy nodded.

"Let me help you do that, Brie. I'm just as shocked as you are. Don't you think that I feel awful? That I was the one that caused this?" Troy said putting his hand over his heart.

Gabriella looked down and folded her hands in her lap.

"I was the one that wanted to have sex on my birthday. This is my fault" Troy said.

Troy was about to walk away. Gabriella slid off the counter and put her hand on Troy's arm.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Blaming yourself isn't going to make this better. It wasn't your fault. It takes two to make a baby. You should know that. I'm just trying to figure out how this is going to work" Gabriella said.

Troy turned around and looked at Gabriella.

"This isn't your fault" Gabriella repeated.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella.

"I want to have this baby with you, Troy. We just need to adjust" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Take your prenatal vitamins after you eat something. It will help absorb them" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly. Troy was about to walk away.

"Troy?" Gabriella called again.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"I love you and I'm sorry that I am on edge" Gabriella said.

"It was to be expected that you would be. Don't apologize. I love you too" Troy said.

Gabriella walked over to Troy and kissed his lips. Troy kissed Gabriella's forehead.

"I have to go. Page me if you need me. I'll call you on my break" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's lips one last time.

"Have a good day" Troy said.

"You too" Gabriella said.

Troy left the house. Gabriella sighed. She loved Troy and the fact that she was pregnant. But she didn't know how fast they could adjust to her pregnancy. Troy was gone until three in the morning and she was in school. Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. Gabriella got ready for school and left the house. A couple hours later, Gabriella was at the Stanford University Daily News office.

"Gabriella, what do think of the layout?" Rebecca, a senior editor, at Stanford asked.

Gabriella held out her hand and Rebecca placed the paper in it. She looked at the paper and turned the pages.

"You need to minimize the font size. It is taking up space that we could use for content" Gabriella said.

Rebecca nodded. Gabriella smiled. She turned back to her computer and continued working on her piece for the paper.

"Gabriella, can you look this over?" Mary, a junior at Stanford and first year at the paper.

"Of course. Email it to me and I will have it back to you by tomorrow" Gabriella said sweetly.

"Thank you" Mary said.

Gabriella smiled. She loved working at the paper and had worked hard to obtain her position. Gabriella had worked at the Daily News since she was a freshman at Stanford and never thought that as a Stanford law student, she would be editor-in-chief. She took a deep breath and released it.

"Guys, just a reminder. Have your pieces and the layout on my desk by Monday morning" Gabriella said.

Later that day, Gabriella was in the library studying for one of her classes. Her phone went off and she picked it up and smiled when she saw Troy's face.

"Hi baby" Troy said.

"Hi" Gabriella said.

"How's school going?" Troy asked.

"I'm exhausted" Gabriella said.

"You went to the office today?" Troy asked knowing that was the cause.

"Yeah" Gabriella said rubbing her eyes.

"Are you at the library?" Troy asked.

"Yeah, I'm trying to analyze these court cases" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled into the phone.

"Maybe you should go home and study there. You will be more comfortable and you could sleep if you need to" Troy said.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"How are you feeling besides tired?" Troy asked.

"Nauseous" Gabriella said.

"Anything else?" Troy asked.

"A little scattered" Gabriella said.

"Okay. Go home and take a nap first. Then start on your work" Troy said.

"Alright. How's your shift?" Gabriella asked.

"I got to assist on an open heart surgery" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"That's great baby" Gabriella said.

"Yeah, at first I was completed freaked out. But then I calmed down and did it" Troy said.

"I'm proud of you, Troy" Gabriella said.

"Thanks. So when will I get my special copy of the Stanford Daily News?" Troy asked.

Gabriella giggled.

"Tuesday morning" Gabriella said.

"I'm looking forward to it, chief" Troy joked.

Gabriella smiled. Troy had been the one that pushed Gabriella to take the job at the office when the senior editor had resigned.

"I'm going to head home and take that nap. When will you be home tonight?" Gabriella asked.

"Don't wait up for me, Brie. It's not healthy, especially when you are pregnant" Troy said.

"But- "Gabriella started.

"No buts" Troy said.

"Fine" Gabriella said.

"Okay. I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

That night, Troy came home and smiled when he saw Gabriella curled up in bed, with a book laying on her chest. Troy went into the bedroom and careful removed the book and placed it on the bedside table. Gabriella stirred and moaned.

"Shh...go back to sleep baby" Troy said quietly.

Gabriella opened her eyes slowly. Troy smiled.

"Did you just get home?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded. He sat on the edge of Gabriella's side of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Tired. I signed off on some articles and did some reading for my class" Gabriella said.

"Good. I'm going to let you go back to sleep" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

"I love you too baby" Troy said kissing Gabriella's lips softly.

Later that morning, Gabriella woke up to feeling nauseous. She looked over at Troy, who was sleeping. Gabriella didn't want to wake him up, but knew she should.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy moaned in his sleep.

"Troy" Gabriella repeated.

Troy jolted awake.

"You okay?" Troy asked sleepily.

"Nauseous" Gabriella said.

"Do you feel like-" Troy started but then saw Gabriella run into the bathroom.

Troy got out of bed quickly and followed her. Gabriella knelt in front of the toilet. Troy pulled her hair out of her face and tied it with a hair elastic. Gabriella regurgitated the remains of her stomach. Troy knelt down beside her and rubbed her back. Ten minutes later, Gabriella backed away from the toilet. Troy stood up and helped Gabriella to a standing position. He wiped Gabriella's tears away. Gabriella walked to the sink and brushed her teeth. After she finished and Troy flushed the toilet, Gabriella looked at her husband.

"Sorry" Gabriella said.

"Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything" Troy said.

"I woke you up when you finished your shift at three" Gabriella said wiping a tear that was rolling down her face.

"Brie, don't worry about that. You need me right now" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down at her hands.

"Hey, look at me Gabriella" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy. Troy put his warm hand on Gabriella's cheek. Gabriella leaned into it.

"You have new things happening in your body. The least I could do is be supportive and help you" Troy said.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella. He felt something wet hit his shoulder and knew that Gabriella was crying. Troy rubbed her back soothingly and kissed her shoulder.

"It was a shock for both of us. At some point though, we have to accept it. I know that everything is kind of crazy right now with work and school. But just because all that is happening, doesn't mean that I'm not going to care or wake up when you need me to. We never talked about this after we found out" Troy said.

Gabriella sniffled.

"I think we need to talk about it, don't you?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded against Troy's shoulder.

"How about we do this. I will call the office for you and tell them that you need the day off. Your senior editor can handle it. I will call the chief and talk to him about missing today, okay?' Troy said.

"I don't want you to get in trouble, Troy" Gabriella said.

"I won't. This is more important right now" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy smiled slightly.

"Let me go make those calls and I will be back" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Ten minutes later, Troy returned to the bedroom. Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

"No problem. Now, we need to talk" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"We have to figure out some sort of compromise for all of our school and work stuff" Troy said.

"But how?" Gabriella asked.

"We will have to figure that out, baby. Most likely, I will have to cut some of my hours" Troy said.

"I don't want you to be the only one that does that. Plus, it's not fair- "Gabriella started.

Troy put his finger on Gabriella's lips, trying to get her to stop talking.

"That's a big part of what's going on. I don't get home until three AM or sometimes later. You, no matter how many times I tell you not to, wait up for me. What if something happens and I am not here?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked down at her hands.

"I want to do this, Brie. Let me take care of you" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy smiled.

"So that's settled. Next is how are we going to tell our parents?" Troy asked.

"I don't know. I'm scared to tell them" Gabriella said.

"Brie" Troy started.

"One of the hardest things I have ever done is tell you that I'm pregnant. Telling my mom is a whole different story" Gabriella said.

Maria Montez was flown all over the country to help manage different companies. She also had moved all of Gabriella's life, until Gabriella met Troy and refused to leave after high school.

"Sweetheart, we can't not tell her" Troy said.

"Yeah, but what about me? What about her grandchild?" Gabriella asked tears forming in her eyes.

"Maybe it will make her stay in one place" Troy said.

"I doubt it" Gabriella said.

Troy his hand on top of Gabriella's.

"She may surprise you and stick around" Troy said.

Gabriella shrugged.

"If it will make you happy, I will tell her. But you need to come with me" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

"What about your parents?" Gabriella asked.

"We will have to come up with a time that we can go over there and talk to them" Troy said.

"Do you think that they will be upset?" Gabriella asked.

"No. We are adults. Yeah, I work a lot. But when something comes up I take care of it. My parents wanted us to wait until you finished school and I finished my residency too. But we can't stop our lives" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I think that they will be fine" Troy said.

"Are you going to make the call or should I?" Gabriella asked.

"I'll do it" Troy said.

Later that day, Gabriella was taking a nap, something she rarely got to do because of all her commitments. Troy walked into the bedroom and smiled. He placed a kiss on Gabriella's cheek and pulled the blanket that was covering her a little higher. Troy then left the room. He walked into the kitchen and wrote a note to Gabriella saying that he was going to go to the gym. Troy got ready and left the apartment. An hour later, Gabriella woke up and got out of bed and walked into the living room and didn't see Troy. She then walked into the kitchen and saw a note on the refrigerator.

 _Went to the gym. Be back soon. I love you_

 _Xoxo_

 _Troy_

Gabriella smiled. She opened the refrigerator and took out some fruit and cut it up and put it into a bowl. She then walked to the living room and turned on the television. An hour later, Troy walked into the apartment and smiled.

"Hey, did you get my note?" Troy asked.

"Yeah, how was the gym?" Gabriella asked.

"Good. Haven't been able to go in daylight for a while" Troy said kissing Gabriella's cheek.

"Troy! Your sweaty" Gabriella whined.

"Maybe you should help me clean up a little bit" Troy said quietly.

Gabriella blushed but then looked down at her flat stomach.

"It's perfectly safe" Troy said.

"It is?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded and wrapped his arms around Gabriella's waist.

"I just have-" Gabriella started.

"You've heard a lot of different opinions. You can ask Dr. Fields and she will tell you the same thing, baby" Troy said.

"I just don't know anything that's going on right now. I'm still trying to figure it all out" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I know you are. I'm telling you that it's safe for a reason. Not for my personal gain or anything like that okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"We don't even have to do anything if you aren't comfortable with it. You could run it by Dr. Fields and she could tell you what she thinks" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I'm sorry" Gabriella said softly.

"Hey" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at her husband.

"Brie, this is something that is new to you and to me. If we don't know what's safe and what's not, then how are we going to have a healthy baby? You want to be safe and I agree with you. I'm okay sweetheart" Troy said.

"It's hard to explain why I feel bad. It's not that I don't want to do anything. I'm really scared that anything I do could have an effect on the baby" Gabriella said as a tear ran down her face.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy. Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek and shoulder softly.

"I know. Maybe at the next appointment with Dr. Fields you could ask about it and find out all of the information that we need to know" Troy said.

"You make it seem like I don't want you at the next appointment" Gabriella said.

"No. I just didn't know how you felt about it. I would be happy to come. I just want to make you feel comfortable" Troy explained.

"I want you there even if you are a little late" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Are you sure?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Okay" Troy said.

"You thought I didn't want you there?" Gabriella asked.

"I don't know, babe. Some women don't want their husbands to come. I didn't know if you wanted me to or not. I also didn't know about how being a resident at a hospital with your doctor would go. I didn't want you to feel weird. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded and smiled at Troy's thoughtfulness.

"I want you to be there. You are my husband and the father of our child. Yeah, you being a resident at the hospital is a little weird, but at the same time I'm relieved" Gabriella said.

"Why relieved?" Troy asked.

"I have my own personal doctor to ask questions whenever I have one" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled and chuckled.

"Yeah" Troy said.

"You thought this whole time I didn't want you to be there?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded.

"Troy" Gabriella said quietly.

"It was a legitimate thought" Troy said.

Gabriella put her hand on top of Troy's.

"You need to be there. End of story okay?" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Gabriella leaned in and kissed Troy's lips.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

"I love you too. I'm glad we did this today. We needed it" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Me too" Gabriella said.

A week later, Gabriella parked her car in the parking garage and saw Troy's truck in his parking spot. She looked at her watch and walked upstairs to the apartment quickly, not knowing why he was home so early. Gabriella unlocked the door and walked into the apartment.

"Troy?" Gabriella called.

"Yeah?" Troy asked poking his head into the living room.

"Why are you home so early?" Gabriella asked as Troy kissed her lips.

"I talked to the chief today and explained everything" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy, confused of what he had discussed with his boss.

"What do you mean explained everything?" Gabriella asked.

"Remember how we talked about cutting back a little bit?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said slowly.

"Well, I talked to the chief and told him that we found out that you were pregnant. I told him that it's our first baby and that I wanted to be around here more because I wanted to experience everything with you. So he moved my hours a little bit" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Baby, you okay?" Troy asked putting his hand on Gabriella's shoulder.

"Yeah. I-I I'm just in shock. So your schedule is now changed?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded.

"What are your hours now?" Gabriella asked.

"Three to eleven" Troy said.

"So you would leave the time you usually come home?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah. That makes it so we have the afternoon and nights to ourselves" Troy said.

"But. Why?" Gabriella asked still in shock.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips.

"Because I love you and I know it's important for me to be here with you right now" Troy said.

"You would miss the morning sickness episodes" Gabriella joked.

Troy smiled.

"So does that mean you are happy about this change?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Thank you baby. I wasn't expecting it" Gabriella said.

"I know. I need to step up my game a little bit. I'm going to be a father and I want to be here as much as I can" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"I guess you are going to have to make your appointments after eleven" Troy said.

Gabriella kissed Troy's lips passionately.

"I love you" Gabriella said pulling back.

"I love you too" Troy said.

The couple started to see that making little adjustments in their schedule would make their relationship stronger.


	3. I'll Never Be Important Enough

A couple days later, Troy came home from the hospital and immediately walked into the bathroom and took a shower. Twenty minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom and heard his phone ring. Troy ran and picked it up.

"Bolton" Troy answered.

"Hi baby, are you at home?" Gabriella asked sweetly.

Troy smiled.

"Yeah, I just got out of the shower. You okay?" Troy asked.

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure that you were still okay with going to your parent's house when I get home" Gabriella said.

"Yeah, that's fine. How's school?" Troy asked.

"I'm tired. Also, I've been noticing that my feet are swelling" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"You shouldn't be on your feet for long periods of time, baby" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"So much to learn" Gabriella said.

"Yeah, how's the paper?" Troy asked.

"We had to push back the deadline" Gabriella said.

"Why?" Troy asked.

"Because nobody could get it together. No one was ready" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled at how seriously Gabriella took her job at the Stanford Daily News.

"Well maybe little miss editor-in-chief needs to slow down and not get stressed out" Troy said.

"It's my job" Gabriella said.

"I know it is, Brie. But you are pregnant. You have to turn it down a notch. If the paper is late a day or two, the world won't end" Troy said.

"I just hate being late" Gabriella said.

"I know you do honey. But if it's going to avoid endangering our unborn child, then maybe you should look into it" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"I don't want to make you feel bad about it. I'm just saying that maybe it's time to slow down a little" Troy said.

"I guess you are right" Gabriella said.

"When will you be home?" Troy asked changing the subject.

"I'm going to leave now" Gabriella said.

"Alright" Troy said.

The couple hung up. Troy sighed. He didn't want to make Gabriella feel like she couldn't do her job. Troy knows that when she is working on something, she throws herself into it and is fully focused on that and that alone. Now that they were having a baby, he thought that Gabriella should start shifting her focus a little bit. An hour later, the front door opened and Troy heard Gabriella's keys being put onto the table. Gabriella walked into the living room and Troy smiled.

"Come here" Troy said.

Gabriella walked over to Troy and sat next to him on the couch. Troy positioned her so that her feet were in his lap. He then took her shoes off and put them on the ground. Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"I'm so tired" Gabriella said.

"Maybe you should take a nap before we go to my parent's house" Troy said.

"No, I'm okay" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella and saw how tired she was.

"How was this morning?" Troy asked.

"Threw up twice" Gabriella said.

"Twice?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Are you feeling a little better?" Troy asked.

"Yeah, but my feet are starting to swell" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Are you sure you don't want to take that nap?" Troy asked.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"Give me forty-five minutes" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Alright" Troy said.

Gabriella got up and walked to the bedroom and took a nap. An hour and a half later, the couple was sitting in Troy's parent's living room.

"So what did you need to talk to us about?" Lucille, Troy's mother asked.

"We have to tell you guys something, but know that this wasn't planned" Troy started.

"Troy, just tell us" Jack, Troy's father said.

Troy looked at Gabriella, who nodded. He then looked at his parents and took a deep breath and released it.

"Gabriella is pregnant with our first child" Troy said.

Lucille was the first to speak.

"What about school and your residency?" Lucille asked.

"We already figured that out. I moved my hours around so that I could be home at a decent hour. Brie is still going to school and starting to slow down at work" Troy said.

Lucille smiled.

"Mom, please say something" Troy said.

"I'm happy. I wish that you waited until you finished your residency and Gabi finished school, but you both are married. It was going to be sooner or later. How far along are you, honey?" Lucille asked.

Gabriella was so nervous to tell her "second parents" about her pregnancy that she couldn't even speak. Troy put his hand on Gabriella's back.

"Baby, you okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"I'm ten weeks" Gabriella said.

Lucille smiled.

"That's when I found out I was pregnant with Troy. Have you told Maria yet?" Lucille asked.

Tears ran down Gabriella's cheeks at the thought of what her mother would say. Gabriella shook her head at Lucille's question. Troy rubbed Gabriella's back gently.

"We are trying to figure out when to tell her" Troy said.

Lucille nodded.

"It's kind of a sensitive subject right now" Troy continued.

"Well, I'm happy. Jack, what about you?" Lucille asked her husband, who had been silent.

"I agree with your mom, Troy. But I am happy" Jack said.

Troy smiled. He looked at Gabriella, who smiled and was wiping her tears away. Lucille got up and hugged Gabriella.

"If you need anything, you know where to find me" Lucille said kissing Gabriella's cheek.

"Thanks Lucy" Gabriella said.

The couple and the Bolton's talked for a little while longer. That night, Troy was in bed asleep when Gabriella had come into the bedroom. She quietly changed into her pajamas and got into bed and snuggled into Troy's chest. Troy stirred and opened his eyes.

"Go back to sleep" Gabriella said softly.

Troy moved a stray hair away from Gabriella's face.

"You feeling okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"You sure?" Troy asked.

"I'm fine. You have to be up in a couple hours" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. He leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

The couple fell asleep. At three in the morning, Troy felt his alarm go off. He carefully unwrapped himself from Gabriella and got out of bed. Troy got ready for work and went back into the bedroom and kissed Gabriella's cheek. Gabriella opened her eyes and looked at her husband.

"Go back to sleep baby. I am going to the hospital" Troy said smoothing Gabriella's hair back.

Gabriella nodded and pulled Troy in to kiss him goodbye.

"Love you" Gabriella said sleepily.

Troy smiled.

"Love you too sweetheart. I'll call you later" Troy said.

Troy left the house. Later that day, Troy returned home and saw Gabriella's purse and book bag still in its original place. He looked around the living room and saw that everything was the way he had left it early that morning. Troy walked into the bedroom and saw Gabriella in their bed, sleeping. Troy looked at the time and knew that Gabriella was supposed to be at work. He walked to her side of the bed and put his hand on her head, which was normal temperature. Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly and saw her eyes open.

"Hey, what happened?" Troy asked.

"Couldn't stop throwing up. When I finally stopped, I didn't have the energy to get up to go to school so I stayed home" Gabriella mumbled.

"You should have called me. I would have come home and helped you, baby" Troy said.

Gabriella closed her eyes.

"When did all of this happen?" Troy asked.

"Like two hours ago" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Is it just your stomach?" Troy asked.

"And my body aches" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Okay sweetheart. Did you eat after?" Troy asked.

"A little bit" Gabriella said.

"Okay. Just rest, alright?" Troy said softly.

Gabriella nodded. Troy smiled and kissed Gabriella's head softly. Gabriella closed her eyes and Troy tucked her in a little more. He then walked out of the bedroom and grabbed his laptop out of his bag and placed it on the kitchen counter. Troy had learned about morning sickness but had never seen it firsthand. He picked up his phone and dialed Dr. Fields office.

"Hello?" Nicole answered.

"Hey Nicole, it's Troy. Is Dr. Fields with a patient?" Troy asked.

"I can check. What's going on?" Nicole asked.

"My wife, Gabriella had morning sickness this morning and she is saying that she has no energy to get out of bed. I just wanted to see if that was normal or not. It's not my specialty" Troy said.

"I can check for you, Troy. I'm going to put you on hold" Nicole said.

"Alright" Troy said.

A few moments later, Dr. Fields voice filled the phone.

"Dr. Bolton?" Dr. Fields answered.

"Hi Dr. Fields. I had a quick question. Gabriella had morning sickness this morning and is saying that she has no energy. Is that normal? It's not my specialty-" Troy started.

"It is normal. How long has it been since she threw up?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Two hours she said" Troy said.

"Okay. Just let her rest. Make sure she drinks plenty of water. She could also have a cup of tea if she wanted to" Dr. Fields said.

"Okay. Anything else?" Troy asked.

"Not that I can think of. She's in her first trimester, Dr. Bolton. This is completely normal" Dr. Fields said.

"Alright. I was just making sure that I covered everything" Troy said.

"I understand. Call back if you have any more questions" Dr. Fields said.

"Thank you" Troy said.

Troy hung up the phone and poked his head into the bedroom and smiled when he saw Gabriella looking at her phone.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Better" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Good. Do you want me to make you something to eat?" Troy asked.

"I don't feel like eating" Gabriella said.

"Is it because you think you are going to throw up again?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Why don't you try eating something small and we will take it from there? Sound good?" Troy asked.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Gabriella sat up and got out of bed. She walked over to Troy and wrapped her arms around him. Troy rubbed her back soothingly and kissed her cheek.

"Come on, let's go make you and baby something" Troy said.

The couple walked out of the bedroom and went into the kitchen.

"What will it be?" Troy asked.

"Something that won't make me throw up" Gabriella said.

"I'll see what I can do" Troy said winking at his wife.

Gabriella giggled.

"You are crazy" Gabriella said.

"Crazy about you" Troy said.

Troy grabbed tomatoes, cucumbers, lemons, limes, and an avocado. He chopped the tomatoes and cucumbers and put them into a bowl. Then he put avocado slices into the bowl and dressed the meal that he was making for Gabriella the way she liked it. Troy handed her the bowl and handed her a fork.

"There you go" Troy said kissing Gabriella's head.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

"No problem" Troy said.

Gabriella walked to the dining room table and sat down and ate her meal. After she finished, she put her dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Gabriella then went to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water and opened it and took a sip. She then walked into the living room and sat down next to Troy.

"Feel a little better?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. She leaned her head against Troy's shoulder.

"I want to tell my mom" Gabriella said randomly.

Troy looked at Gabriella. He put his hand on top of hers and entwined their fingers together.

"You sure? You don't have to Brie" Troy said.

"Yeah. I want to because if it was the other way around and our daughter was in the position that I am in, not that she will be but hypothetically, I would be hurt if she didn't tell me. Even if she doesn't acknowledge it or whatever, at least on my side I will have a clear conscious" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips. As Gabriella pulled away, he placed his hand on her cheek.

"You are most definitely; the strongest person I know. You amaze me, Gabriella" Troy said.

Gabriella blushed.

"I would rather deal with it now, than later when I'm farther along" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I get it and if you feel like it's the right thing to do, then you do it. The thing with your mom is between you and her" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

"I love you too baby" Troy said.

"Oh. I was going to tell you that my doctor's appointment is next week" Gabriella said.

"What day?" Troy asked.

"Tuesday at twelve. Are you going to be okay going to that after your shift?" Gabriella asked.

"I'll be fine. You aren't supposed to worry about me. I'm supposed to worry about you" Troy said.

"I just-" Gabriella started.

"Brie, honey, I will be fine. I promise" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Back to my mom, when should we tell her?" Gabriella asked.

"Do you want to have her over for dinner? Or we could go over there and tell her?" Troy suggested.

"I just want it to be short and sweet. We could even do it tonight" Gabriella said.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Troy asked sensing the subject sensitivity.

"I want to tell her so that it will be done and over with" Gabriella said.

"Brie" Troy started.

"She honestly may not even react to it. I am telling her because that's what daughters do. They tell their mother when they find out they are pregnant" Gabriella said.

"I know and you are doing the right thing" Troy said.

"I don't even want to tell anybody else. I just want us to have this baby and keep it to ourselves" Gabriella said getting up and walking into the bedroom and shutting the door behind her.

Troy took a deep breath and released it. It hurt him to see Gabriella trying to deal with her mother. He wished that he could make it easier on her. Troy knew that Gabriella needed space to try and collect her thoughts so he left her alone. A couple hours later, Troy knocked on the bedroom door.

"Brie, you okay?" Troy asked through the closed door.

When he heard no answer, Troy opened the door and smiled when he saw Gabriella buried in blankets. It was her version of a fort and also a type of safe place.

"Sweetheart?" Troy called.

"Yeah" Gabriella said sniffling.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"You sure?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Want some company in there? I'm not taking "yeah" as an answer either" Troy said.

"If you want to" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He walked over to the bed and pulled back the cover and got into bed. Troy then placed the cover in its original place. He looked at his wife.

"How are you doing in here?" Troy asked trying to break the ice.

"Trying to think" Gabriella said.

"About what?" Troy asked.

"Everything" Gabriella said.

"Want to narrow it down for me?" Troy asked.

"School, work, the baby, our families" Gabriella listed.

Troy nodded.

"That's a lot. What about?" Troy asked knowing how to get Gabriella to talk.

"I was never told to do well in school. I just did. I knew that one day I would have to put everything that I learned into a job. I didn't know what it would be like to have a boyfriend, but I figured that out on my own too. The time in my life that my mother should be present is the time that she isn't" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I just don't know if I get hurt again by her" Gabriella said softly.

Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek and then her lips.

"I know and I won't let that happen" Troy said.

Gabriella snuggled into Troy's chest.

"If you want me to go over there and tell her, I can" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Yes you want me to go over there or is that an okay?" Troy asked.

"You can go over there and tell her. I just can't" Gabriella said.

"Okay. I'm going to do that now" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Thank you baby" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled and leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"I'll be back soon" Troy said.

Troy got out of bed and put the fort back together for Gabriella. He picked up his keys and left the apartment. Troy got into his car and started driving to his mother-in-law's. He was upset that Gabriella felt the way she did and it made him angry at the possibility of Maria not acknowledging Gabriella's pregnancy. Troy continued to drive until he pulled into Gabriella's childhood home. He took a deep breath and released it. Troy got out of the car and walked to the front door and pressed the doorbell. A few moments later, Maria opened the door.

"Hi Troy" Maria said.

"Hi Maria, can we talk for a minute?" Troy asked.

Maria stood to the side and Troy walked into the house. They walked into the living room and sat down.

"What's on your mind, Troy?" Maria asked.

Troy took a deep breath and released it.

"I'm trying to word this perfectly and hopefully you understand what I'm asking" Troy started.

Maria nodded, making Troy continue.

"About a month ago, Gabriella found out that she is pregnant with our first child" Troy said.

Maria nodded.

"Congratulations, Troy" Maria said.

"Thanks" Troy said.

"How far along is she?" Maria asked.

"Ten weeks" Troy said.

"You are wondering if I am going to be transferred" Maria concluded.

Troy nodded slowly.

"I don't want her to get hurt, Maria. Especially during the time where she should be happy" Troy said.

Maria sighed.

"I did get transferred to Florida. I found out a week ago. I wanted to tell Gabi" Maria said.

"I don't think that is a good idea. I think that you should not speak a word of this to her. I will handle it" Troy said.

Maria nodded. Troy got up and let himself out and got into his car and started driving. He took deep breaths during his drive home. Troy knew that even if Gabriella said she didn't care; he knew she did. He pulled into the parking garage and parked his car. Troy walked upstairs to the apartment and unlocked the door and walked in.

"Brie, I'm home" Troy said.

Gabriella poked her head out of the bedroom. Troy smiled.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Troy asked wrapping his arms around Gabriella.

"Better. What happened at my mom's?" Gabriella asked.

Troy looked at Gabriella sympathetically. He knew that he had to tell her.

"Come on sweetie, we need to talk" Troy said.

The couple sat down in the living room.

"What happened Troy?" Gabriella asked.

"I need to tell you something and you are going to get upset. But I felt that it was important for me to tell you and not your mom okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Your mom is being transferred to Florida" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down at her hands and played with her wedding ring that was on her pinky because of the swelling in her ring finger.

"Honey" Troy started.

"I'm not surprised. I just thought that maybe, just maybe she would care enough. It was a stupid thought" Gabriella said.

"No, baby. You had a right to think that. It wasn't stupid, Brie. This is on her. Not you" Troy said.

"I'll never be important enough" Gabriella said.

Troy's face softened.

"Brie, listen to me. You are important to so many people. You have friends, family, and I that love you. Don't let your mom ruin your pregnancy experience. It's not worth it" Troy said.

"If you were the one that was pregnant for the first time, you would want your mom too. Yeah, your mom is amazing and helped me through a lot of things. But this…this is something that I wanted to experience with my mom. I thought it would bring us closer, not farther apart" Gabriella said as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Come here" Troy said.

Gabriella moved over to Troy and wrapped her arms around him and cried. Troy held his wife as she cried and rubbed her back. He was mad. He was mad that there was nothing that he could do to fix this. Ten minutes later, Gabriella had been laying in Troy's arms, with her face buried in his neck. Her crying turned into silence.

"I love you" Troy said breaking the silence.

"I love you too" Gabriella whispered.

"I know that I'm not your mom and a guy, but I am always here if you need to talk about the baby or pregnancy or anything for that matter okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Thank you for always keeping your promises" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled and kissed her cheek.

"I vowed to always love you and take care of you until the day I die. That's what I'm going to do" Troy said.

Gabriella leaned in and kissed Troy's lips. The rest of the day was spent by the couple relaxing around the house. Kissing, touching, talking, and loving each other.


	4. It's Not Your Fault

A week later, Gabriella was sitting in an exam room at Dr. Fields office waiting for Troy and Dr. Fields to arrive. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in" Gabriella said.

Troy poked his head in and smiled.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Troy asked as he closed the door behind him.

"Nauseous" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly. He looked at Gabriella and smiled.

"You are starting to grow a little" Troy said placing his hand on Gabriella's stomach.

Gabriella smiled.

"Yeah. I noticed it a couple days ago but it has grown since then" Gabriella said placing her hand on top of Troy's.

"Anything happen this morning?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"No call from your mom?" Troy asked.

"No and I don't want to talk to her either" Gabriella said.

There was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came into the room.

"Hi Gabriella, Dr. Bolton" Dr. Fields said.

"Hi" the couple said simultaneously.

"How are you feeling, Gabi?" Dr. Fields said.

"Tired, nauseous, and swollen. Yeah I think that covers everything" Gabriella joked.

Dr. Fields and Troy both laughed.

"Morning sickness?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Yeah. In the morning and sometimes in the afternoon. But it's starting to get better I've noticed" Gabriella said.

"Good. Have you been sleeping?" Dr. Fields asked.

Troy raised his eyebrow and looked at Gabriella, who looked at Troy.

"I moved my hours around a little bit. My shift starts at three AM and ends at eleven AM. Sometimes, she will wake up to say goodbye and then go back to sleep" Troy said truthfully.

Dr. Fields nodded.

"But other than that?" Dr. Fields asked.

"I sleep well" Gabriella said.

"Good. Any pain?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Good. Anything else I should know about?" Dr. Fields asked.

"We had a question that we wanted to run by you" Troy said looking at Gabriella, who nodded.

"What's up?" Dr. Fields asked.

"As far as intimacy, is it safe to- "Gabriella blushed.

Troy smiled.

"It's safe. But, you need to be careful. You need to listen to your body" Dr. Fields said.

The couple nodded. Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled.

"My feet are also starting to swell" Gabriella said changing the subject.

"Okay. Let's take a look" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella lied back on the exam table. Troy took her hand in his own and kissed her head. Dr. Fields put a blanket over Gabriella's lower body and lifted her gown above her belly button. She then turned on the ultrasound and waited for it to heat up. Dr. Fields squeezed gel onto Gabriella's stomach and picked up a wand and started moving the gel around. The couple and Dr. Fields looked at the monitor.

"There's your baby, guys" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella smiled and tears ran down her face. Troy tried to be strong for Gabriella. He squeezed her hand, letting her know that he was there.

"Is it healthy?" Gabriella asked.

"Looks like it. Have you talked about finding out the sex?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy, who looked at Gabriella.

"Do you want to find out?" Troy asked.

"I kind of want it to be a surprise. Do you want to?" Gabriella asked.

"If you don't want to find out, I'll wait too" Troy said.

"So then, that's a no?" Dr. Fields asked.

The couple nodded.

"Alright. You can always change your mind" Dr. Fields said.

Dr. Fields moved the wand around Gabriella's stomach again. Troy took in everything. They were having a baby. He looked at Gabriella, who was looking at the monitor and smiling as she saw their unborn child. Troy kissed her head softly.

"I love you" Troy said.

Gabriella looked away from the monitor at Troy with tears in her eyes.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields smiled.

"A little overwhelming?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Definitely" Troy said sniffling.

"Everything's okay?" Gabriella asked.

"From what I can see. I want to examine you though and make the final decision" Dr. Fields said.

The couple nodded.

"I'm going to print these pictures out for you and I will be right back" Dr. Fields said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields left the room. Gabriella looked at Troy.

"You okay?" Gabriella asked.

Troy smiled and nodded.

"I think that it finally set in" Troy said referring to Gabriella's pregnancy.

"Does this mean- "Gabriella started.

"I can't wait" Troy said simply.

Gabriella started crying. Not of sadness, but happiness. She pulled Troy in and kissed his lips passionately. Troy pulled away and moved a stray hair away from Gabriella's face.

"I love you so much" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

There was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came back into the room. She handed the sonogram to Troy.

"Alright, I'm going to examine you and get you out of here" Dr. Fields said.

Dr. Fields positioned Gabriella and examined her. A few moments later, she threw her gloves away and looked at the couple.

"Everything looks good" Dr. Fields said.

"Good" Troy said.

"Any questions?" Dr. Fields asked.

"I don't. Brie?" Troy asked looking at his wife.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Then I will see you guys next month" Dr. Fields said.

Dr. Fields left the room. Troy helped Gabriella sit up. Gabriella got off the table and changed back into her clothes. She then stood in front of Troy and wrapped her arms around him. Troy wrapped his arm around Gabriella and kissed her cheek.

"You happy?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Are you?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded. He pulled away and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"You looked like you had a realization" Gabriella said as they walked out of the exam room.

"I did" Troy said.

"What were you thinking about?" Gabriella asked as she entwined their fingers together.

"I'm going to be a father in six months with a woman that I love with all my heart. We have crazy schedules but it's nothing that we can't handle" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"You are going to be an amazing father" Gabriella said.

"I hope so" Troy said.

"Come on, let's go home. I'm sure you are exhausted" Gabriella said.

"Coming from the pregnant one" Troy joked.

"You have been up since two" Gabriella said.

"I'm sure you have too" Troy said.

Bullseye. Gabriella glared at Troy.

"I can't help it sometimes" Gabriella said.

"I know" Troy said.

The couple got into their own cars and drove home. A couple hours later, Gabriella woke up from a nap. She got off the bed and walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Gabriella turned to her side and pressed her shirt against her stomach. Troy was right, she was growing. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on the open bathroom door.

"What are we doing?" Troy asked wrapping his arms around Gabriella from behind and looking in the mirror.

"You were right" Gabriella said.

"About what?" Troy asked.

"A couple days ago, I wasn't this size" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I told you" Troy said.

"I didn't even notice it until you said something" Gabriella said.

"I thought you knew" Troy said.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Now it feels even more real" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Do you want me to make you a sandwich or something baby?" Troy asked.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

The couple walked out of the bathroom and went into the kitchen. Gabriella pulled herself onto the counter.

"I don't think that is safe to do anymore" Troy said pointing to the counter.

"Why?" Gabriella asked.

"Because you are pulling yourself up with a baby inside of you" Troy said.

Gabriella got off the counter and went into the pantry and brought out a step stool.

"Is this better?" Gabriella asked.

Troy smiled.

"A little. But we have a counter that you can sit at that already has chairs" Troy said pointing to the kitchen island.

"I know, but I like it up here" Gabriella said.

Troy pulled out ingredients from the refrigerator and started making sandwiches for the two of them.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" Gabriella asked randomly.

Troy smiled.

"I thought we didn't want to find out" Troy said.

"We don't. But, if you could choose what would you want?" Gabriella asked.

"I want a healthy baby" Troy said.

"I do too. But you didn't answer my question" Gabriella said.

Troy looked up at Gabriella and shook his head.

"We should have found out today. Because for the next six months, we are both going to be guessing" Troy said.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled and chuckled.

"You are enjoying torturing me like this" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"I hope it's a girl because she will be smart and persistent like her mother" Troy said.

"I hope she's not annoying like her father is" Gabriella said joked.

"Hey" Troy said putting his hand to his heart.

Gabriella smiled. She stepped onto the step stool and onto the kitchen floor. Gabriella then wrapped her arms around Troy from behind.

"Don't worry. We would still love you" Gabriella said.

"I hope so" Troy said handing Gabriella her sandwich.

"Baby?" Gabriella asked looking down at her sandwich.

"Hmmm?" Troy asked.

"This has been going through my head for a couple days and I think we need to figure it out" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"What are you thinking about?" Troy asked.

"What if I go into labor or something happens and you are at work?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded. He hadn't thought of that.

"Do I page you or how is that going to go? I'm not going to have this baby without you" Gabriella continued.

"I don't get maternity leave like you do. I'll be at the hospital. We'll probably have to ask my mom and dad if they could drive you. If that is the case" Troy said slowly.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"But that doesn't mean it will happen. Hopefully nothing happens and you have an easy pregnancy and that you go into labor when I'm home" Troy said trying to reassure her.

"It just kind of scares me a little bit" Gabriella said.

"I know it does. But we are going to figure it out okay?" Troy said softly.

Gabriella nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly. A couple weeks later, Gabriella came home from work and took her shoes off and sighed in relief. She walked into the bedroom and changed out of her work attire and into one of Troy's t-shirts that hit her knee. Gabriella got into bed and snuggled into the sheets and sighed. She had a rough day at school and at the paper. An hour later, Gabriella heard the door open and Troy walk into the bedroom. She opened her eyes and tears instantly ran down her cheeks.

"Hey, what happened baby?" Troy asked walking over to Gabriella's side of the bed and sitting on the edge.

"I can't think straight. It was like I couldn't focus. Both at school and at the paper" Gabriella cried.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly and pulled away.

"Mind if I join you in there?" Troy asked wiping Gabriella's tears away.

Gabriella nodded. Troy quickly changed into more comfortable clothing and got into bed. Gabriella, unconsciously, snuggled into his chest.

"Explain to me what happened" Troy said softly.

"I was trying to listen to my professor talk and he asked a question and pointed to me. I couldn't think of the answer but I knew that I knew it. I had studied it last night. He repeated the question and I still couldn't get it" Gabriella said.

"Brie, that's not your fault" Troy said.

"I know it's not. But it just bothers me" Gabriella said.

Gabriella buried her face into Troy's neck.

"It's normal to have that happen" Troy said.

"I don't like it" Gabriella said.

Troy put his arm around Gabriella and kissed her cheek softly.

"It's just another part of the pregnancy, baby. Don't let it discourage you" Troy said.

"Also, I noticed that I'm starting to have mood swings" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"It's just a lot all at once, huh?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"You just do what you have to do. If you need to scream or cry or whatever, then do it" Troy said.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

"I love you too. Anything else happen?" Troy asked.

Gabriella pulled the covers down and Troy looked down and he smiled. Her stomach had grown and her once little bulge was now completely noticeable. Troy put his hand on Gabriella's stomach.

"Now, that should have made you happy" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"It did" Gabriella said.

"Wow, it wasn't this big this morning" Troy said.

"It must have appeared when I was at work" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Our baby" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Fine" Gabriella said.

"No word from your mom?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head. She turned over with her back facing Troy. Troy moved closer to Gabriella.

"Brie, I know that it hurts and I wish I could tell you that everything is going to be okay. But I know that it wouldn't be right. I'm just going to tell you again, I'm always here. Even when you need to talk about stuff that I can't relate to" Troy said.

"It just hurts" Gabriella said.

"I know. I'm sorry baby" Troy said.

"Thanks for being you" Gabriella said.

Gabriella turned back over and looked at Troy. Troy smiled.

"Without you, I would be crazy" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"When you don't have time, you make the time. When you were working until three, you would still make sure that I was okay and be there when I needed you to be" Gabriella said tearfully.

"Hey, don't cry" Troy said softly.

"You've always put me first" Gabriella said.

"And I will continue to until I die" Troy said.

Gabriella kissed Troy's lips and pulled away. She looked into Troy's eyes and blushed. Troy kissed Gabriella's lips slowly. Gabriella put her hand on Troy's cheek. Troy put his hand on top of Gabriella's and pulled away slowly.

"Now that we know it's safe, we have to listen to what Dr. Fields said. We need to be careful. If you feel any, and I mean any pain or something doesn't feel right, you stop me. It's important Brie" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I'm not trying to scare you out of it. I just want to keep you and the baby safe" Troy continued.

"I know. I promise I will say something" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips slowly, but passionately. Gabriella kissed him back. Clothes were discarded and the couple made love for the first time since they had found out Gabriella was pregnant. A couple hours later, Troy and Gabriella were asleep. Troy opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Gabriella wrapped in a sheet, sleeping soundly. He kissed her cheek softly and got out of bed quietly. Troy grabbed his boxers and clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Gabriella had gotten scared while they were having sex because she didn't know if they were being careful enough. So they stopped. Troy didn't blame her for it. He was just as scared as she was. He emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later and smiled when he saw Gabriella awake in bed. He walked over to the bed and lied down on his side.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded silently.

"Brie, it's okay to be nervous. You did the right thing by stopping me" Troy said knowing she was probably upset.

"I'm sorry-" Gabriella started.

"Don't apologize. Dr. Fields told us to be careful. You were following her directions and that's a good thing" Troy said.

"Are you okay?" Gabriella asked.

Troy smiled and nodded.

"I'm okay. I'm more concerned about you though" Troy said.

"I liked the thought of it. But when I was actually in it, I got scared" Gabriella said.

"I know. But we tried it. We can't say that we didn't try" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said wiping tears that were forming in her eyes.

"I don't want this to bother you baby. It's just- "Troy started.

"Something that comes along with the pregnancy. I know. But, it does bother me" Gabriella said.

"Maybe we could try again some other time or we don't have to" Troy said.

Gabriella sniffled.

"This isn't your fault okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella. The rest of the day the couple relaxed around the house.


	5. Put Your Family First

A couple weeks later, Gabriella came home from the Stanford Daily News office and smiled when she saw Troy reading a pregnancy book on the couch.

"Hey, I didn't know you were pregnant too" Gabriella said.

Troy jumped and closed the book.

"What were you reading about?" Gabriella asked.

"Nothing" Troy said.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

"Development" Troy said.

"What about it?" Gabriella asked.

"How big the baby is supposed to be right now, when they are supposed to start kicking, and some other stuff" Troy said.

"Why the sudden interest?" Gabriella asked.

"Just because I'm a cardiothoracic surgeon resident doesn't mean I'm not interested" Troy said.

"So you want to look at my pregnancy from a doctor's view? That's not what I want, Troy" Gabriella said.

"Brie, I'm just trying-" Troy started.

"No. You were a husband before you were a doctor, Troy. I wanted us both to be on the same page. Be lost together in this. I don't want you to be my doctor. What I need is for you to be my husband and see it from my view, our first-time parent view" Gabriella said as she started getting choked up.

"Baby" Troy said softly.

"I don't want that, Troy" Gabriella cried.

Gabriella walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. Troy sighed. He knew that she was right and that he shouldn't have done that. Troy got off the couch and walked to the bedroom and knocked politely.

"Brie, I'm sorry. Sometimes I can't help it. I want to experience this with you from a first-time parent's view, like you said. But I was just curious and I know that's not fair to you. I'm sorry sweetheart" Troy said.

"I don't want you to be my doctor, Troy" Gabriella cried through the door.

"I know you don't baby. I wasn't trying to do that. Can I come in?" Troy asked.

"No" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Troy walked into the living room and sat down on the couch again. An hour later, Troy heard the bedroom door open. Gabriella poked her head out and saw Troy watching television. He looked at her.

"I had to go to the bathroom" Gabriella mumbled.

Troy nodded. Gabriella walked to the bathroom and went in and closed the door. A couple minutes later, Gabriella came out of the bathroom. She walked into the living room and stood next to the couch.

"Can you turn that off please?" Gabriella asked softly.

Troy turned off the television and looked at Gabriella.

"I don't want you to be my doctor, Troy. I want you to go through this like I am, as a first-time parent. When you told me you were reading about development, it made me feel like I was alone. I felt alone because you understand development from a doctor's point of view. I am experiencing all of this for the first time and am scared. It hurt my feelings when you did that because this is our baby, not a patient's or someone that you don't know" Gabriella said calmly.

Troy nodded understanding what Gabriella was saying.

"I'm sorry for making you feel that way. I didn't think of it that way. I just thought that if one of us knew about development and everything else, that it would make it easier and we would not be as scared. I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings, sweetheart. It was never my intention" Troy said.

Gabriella started crying. Troy got up and walked over to Gabriella and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her cheek softly.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella cried.

Troy rubbed Gabriella's back. He was wondering if this was a mood swing, but he also knew that part of what they were talking about was true. Ten minutes later, Gabriella finally calmed down.

"You okay?" Troy asked softly.

Gabriella nodded silently. A couple hours later, Troy was in the kitchen making himself a snack. As he was making his snack, Troy felt two arms wrap around his waist. He smiled.

"Babe, do you want me to make you something to eat?" Troy asked.

"Do we have peanut butter?" Gabriella asked.

"I think so. Check in the cabinet. I thought I saw a jar" Troy said.

Gabriella walked over to the cabinet where they stored their non-refrigerated items and pulled out the peanut butter. She then walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bag of carrots and walked back to the counter. Troy looked over at Gabriella's snack and looked up at her. He wasn't going to say anything unless she did. Troy felt Gabriella lean against him.

"Do you want one?" Gabriella asked holding a carrot and the jar of peanut butter.

Troy looked at Gabriella and shook his head.

"No thank you, baby" Troy said.

"First craving and mood swing in one day" Gabriella said.

"Welcome to the second trimester, sweetheart" Troy said finishing his snack.

"I didn't think everything would come all at once" Gabriella said.

"It varies from woman to woman" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She finished her snack and put the jar of peanut butter back in its place. Gabriella then walked back to Troy and wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I love you too baby. You feeling okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Can we talk after you are done?" Gabriella asked.

Troy looked at Gabriella nodded.

"Give me a second okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy grabbed a plate and placed his sandwich onto it. He then went and followed Gabriella to the living room. The couple sat down.

"What's going on?" Troy asked.

"I know that we talked about this before. But it still makes me a little anxious" Gabriella started.

Troy nodded.

"What if there is an emergency call that you can't get out of and I'm in labor and have to give birth without you there?" Gabriella asked.

Troy swallowed the piece of his food hard and looked at Gabriella. He had worried about that too.

"If that happens, and I say if, then I will get to you as soon as I can. I know that it will be scary. But things that we can't predict can happen" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I just don't know if I could do it without you" Gabriella said.

"I know you can do it, Brie. Let's hope nothing happens" Troy said.

The rest of the day the couple relaxed around the house. The next morning, Troy was sleeping. He had gotten home later than usual because he had to assist an attending surgeon that was performing an open heart surgery. Troy stretched out his arm but felt the bed, and not Gabriella. He opened his eyes slowly and saw that she was no longer in bed.

"Troy?" Gabriella called from inside the bathroom.

Troy jumped out of bed and walked quickly to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Brie, what's wrong?" Troy asked through the door.

Gabriella opened it and Troy saw that she had an oversized t-shirt on and a pair of skinny jeans that were not buttoned.

"My jeans don't fit" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Do you want me to bring you another pair?" Troy asked.

"I want to wear these" Gabriella said.

"Baby, you don't want to rip them. If they don't fit, we will have to find one that does" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. She took off her jeans and handed them to Troy.

"I wish that society allowed people to not wear pants when they didn't feel like it" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"Which pair do you want me to bring you?" Troy asked.

"The blue ones that have the brown square on the belt loop" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Troy went into bedroom and into Gabriella's closet and looked through her jeans and found the pair she was talking about. He then walked back to the bathroom.

"Here you go. Try those" Troy said.

Gabriella put on the jeans and tried to button them and sighed.

"No?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"What about a dress?" Troy asked.

"Which one?" Gabriella asked.

"I don't know. The long one?" Troy suggested.

Gabriella walked out of the bathroom and went into the bedroom and looked in her closet. She pulled out a long dress.

"Let me try this" Gabriella said.

Gabriella walked back into the bathroom and shut the door. Troy smiled. He had gotten an idea. Troy walked back to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" Gabriella called through the door.

"Don't put the dress on yet" Troy said.

"Why?" Gabriella asked.

"Can I come in?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

Troy opened the door and poked his head in. He saw Gabriella in her bra and underwear holding the dress she had chosen up.

"Come here for a second" Troy said.

"Troy, I need to- "Gabriella started.

"It will take you two seconds to put the dress on, Gabriella" Troy said.

Gabriella knew Troy was serious when he pulled out her full name.

"What?" Gabriella asked looking at Troy.

"Come here" Troy said.

Gabriella walked over to Troy. Troy took Gabriella's hand in his own and walked into the bedroom. In their bedroom, the couple had a full length mirror. Troy brought Gabriella over to the mirror.

"Stand to the side for me" Troy said.

Gabriella stood facing Troy.

"Okay. Now look in the mirror" Troy said.

Gabriella looked in the mirror.

"I don't know what- "Gabriella started.

"You don't see what I see?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"No" Gabriella said.

Troy put his hand on Gabriella's expanding bump.

"What about now?" Troy asked.

"My bump grew" Gabriella said obviously.

"Yes. Now what does the baby need to be able to survive in your body?" Troy asked.

"Troy- "Gabriella started.

"Gabriella- "Troy argued.

Gabriella looked at her reflection again.

"Space?" Gabriella asked.

"Right. Your clothes are not fitting because the baby is taking up space right?" Troy said.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"What if I told you that your clothes are not fitting because the baby is growing?" Troy asked.

Gabriella was silent for a minute and then looked at Troy, who raised his eyebrow.

"The baby is growing" Gabriella concluded.

Troy smiled.

"Yes, Brie. Our baby is growing and that is a good thing" Troy said.

Gabriella started to cry. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella and kissed her cheek.

"I'm really happy" Gabriella cried.

"Your body is going to change, baby. That goes without saying. But instead of thinking about the weight or your clothes not fitting, think about the baby growing. We are only five and a half months away from meeting our baby" Troy said.

Gabriella kissed Troy's lips.

"Thank you for bringing me back to reality" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I want you to enjoy your pregnancy, Brie" Troy said.

"I do too" Gabriella said.

"There are going to be changes in your body that you don't like. But, in the end, it's for the baby" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"So, are you going to try on the dress?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. But tell me how it looks" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Gabriella went back into the bathroom. A couple minutes later, Gabriella came out of the bathroom and went into the bedroom. Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled.

"Does it fit?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Go look in the mirror now" Troy said.

Gabriella went over to the mirror and looked at her reflection. Troy placed his hand on Gabriella's bump.

"See? Doesn't that look better?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. Thanks Troy" Gabriella said.

"Anytime. You look beautiful, Brie. I'm serious" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. She leaned against Troy's chest. Troy wrapped his arm around Gabriella's waist.

"You just needed to see it for yourself" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"And it also lets us see how much you've grown. I don't want you to hate being pregnant, baby. It's hard to grasp, but it's happening" Troy said.

"I don't hate being pregnant" Gabriella said.

"Sometimes, you come off that you do" Troy said.

"I don't mean to" Gabriella said.

"I know you don't. It's a big change, I get it" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I want you to be happy. That's what I want. I also am not going through physical changes in my body everyday like you are. I know that it can get old after a while and you just want it to stop" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy tried to help Gabriella through the mental realization of her pregnancy. A couple weeks later, Gabriella came home from work and smiled when she saw Troy sitting on the couch.

"Hey" Gabriella said walking into the living room.

"Hi baby. How was your day?" Troy asked.

"Long. Are you going to be okay going to my appointment tomorrow?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked placing his hand on Gabriella's expanding bump.

"Tired" Gabriella said.

"Your mom called" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"What did she want?" Gabriella asked.

"She wanted to check in" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"What did you tell her?" Gabriella asked.

"I told her that you were fine. The baby was healthy. She wanted to talk to you" Troy said.

"I don't want to" Gabriella said.

"Brie, you are going to have to talk to her eventually" Troy said.

"I know. I just don't want to" Gabriella said.

"Are you just going to block her out?" Troy asked.

"No. I just need space" Gabriella said.

Troy took a deep breath and released it.

"Okay" Troy said.

"What she did hurt me more than anything she has done before. We have a baby to think about now" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I know" Troy said.

Troy dropped the subject. The next morning, Gabriella arrived at Dr. Field's office and was in an exam room. Dr. Field's had already done an ultrasound. Troy was nowhere to be found.

"Just relax okay?" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and closed her eyes as Dr. Fields examined her. A couple moments later, Dr. Fields threw her gloves away. Gabriella sat up and released the tears she had been holding in.

"Gabi, it happens. He probably had an emergency call and it slipped his mind" Dr. Fields said.

"I know. But sometimes, it feels like I come second. We are having a baby" Gabriella said wiping her tears away.

"I understand and I know that it's hard. My husband has told me the same thing you are saying. Do you want me to try to page him?" Dr. Fields asked handing her a tissue box.

Gabriella nodded taking the tissue box and a tissue out of it.

"If you don't mind" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields smiled.

"I can do that. I know that he's been a type of security for you. I'll page him right now and I will be back okay?" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields left the exam room. A couple minutes later, Dr. Fields came back into the exam room.

"One of the residents is going to go find him" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded. An hour later, Gabriella was still in Dr. Fields office. There was a knock on the door and Troy poked his head in. Gabriella looked at Troy.

"I can explain" Troy said.

Gabriella's eyes filled with tears.

"You forgot" Gabriella said.

"I didn't forget. I was in the middle of an emergency surgery that I couldn't get out of. I didn't have my pager on me. I'm so sorry baby" Troy said.

Gabriella wiped tears that were running down her cheeks.

"Is everything okay?" Troy asked.

"I just needed you here, Troy. I don't want to go to these appointments alone" Gabriella said.

"I know and I'm sorry. Is everything okay?" Troy repeated.

"Yeah, but that's beside the point" Gabriella said.

"I wasn't trying to avoid it. I just- "Troy started.

"You could have said that my wife has an appointment with her doctor and she needs me to be there" Gabriella said.

"I could have" Troy said softly.

"I want to go home" Gabriella said.

"Alright. Do you want- "Troy started.

"Go back to work, Troy" Gabriella said.

Gabriella changed back into her clothes and left the office, with Troy following her until they got to the hospital entrance.

"Brie, I know you are mad-" Troy started.

"I always feel like I come second in your life. When you started interning, and then when you started your residency. We are having a baby, Troy. Is the baby going to come second too? I might as well call Tay or Kelsi to be there when I go into labor because I can't rely on you" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at the ground and put his hand in his pocket.

"Everything okay over here?" Ashley, the chief resident, and Troy's boss asked.

Troy swallowed hard. Gabriella walked away and drove home. A couple hours later, Troy came home and saw all of the lights off. He knew Gabriella was home because he saw her car in her parking space. Troy walked to the bedroom and saw that the door was closed. He took a deep breath and knocked.

"I know that I should have been there. Emergency surgery is no excuse for me to miss one of your appointments with Dr. Fields. I'm sorry for not being there, Gabriella. I'm sorry for making you feel like you are alone in this. That's all that I wanted to say. I love you and I hope that you are okay" Troy said.

There was silence. He nodded at nothing in particular and walked away. A couple hours later, Gabriella opened the bedroom door and walked into the living room. Troy was sleeping on the couch. She looked at the clock and looked back at Troy. He should have been at the hospital. Gabriella walked over to Troy and placed a kiss on Troy's forehead. Troy opened his eyes.

"Hi" Troy said.

"Hi" Gabriella said.

"I'm sorry- "Troy started.

"I know" Gabriella said.

"I know that you needed me to be there" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I feel like I always come second since you started interning and residency" Gabriella said.

Troy's face softened.

"We are having a baby. Our first baby" Gabriella said with her voice cracking.

"I never meant to make you feel like you were coming second, Gabriella. Sometimes, things go wrong and I have to take care of it" Troy said.

Gabriella sat down on the floor in front of Troy.

"I know that it's our first baby and there are things that you want me to be around for. I want to be around for things too, Brie. I don't know how to fix this to make you not hate me" Troy said.

"I don't hate you. This pregnancy is something I want us to go through together. The first time I had morning sickness, the first time that he kicked, going through labor and birth" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded and then sat up.

"He?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy and nodded.

"We are having a baby boy, Troy. I couldn't wait anymore and you were not there, so I made the final decision and found out" Gabriella said.

Troy looked down. He didn't know what to say.

"I am not trying to make you feel bad. I just can't wait around for things anymore" Gabriella said.

"Gabriella, tell me how to fix this" Troy said.

"I know that you have to think about your patients, but you need to put our family first" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Somehow you need to make that work" Gabriella said.

"I promise that I will try" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple spent the rest of the day in separate rooms of the apartment. Troy knew he had to change, he just needed to figure out the best way for his family and his career.


	6. We Can't Do This Anymore

The next morning, Troy opened the front door and walked into the apartment. He heard silence and walked to the bedroom and poked his head in and saw that Gabriella was not there. Troy sighed. He then stood up straight and smiled. Troy got an idea to show Gabriella how much he loved her and their unborn son. He walked to the spare bedroom in the apartment and opened the door and looked around. They had a couple boxes from where they first moved in. Troy took everything out of the boxes and sorted them and put them in their correct place. He then threw out the boxes. Troy looked around the room again and smiled. He left the house. An hour later, Troy came back to the apartment with paint supplies. He went to the spare bedroom and started his plan. A couple weeks later, Troy and Gabriella were still on the same talking terms and staying separated from each other. Troy had been working hard on getting the spare room ready for their son. He had put the finishing touches on and looked at the room and smiled. The furniture was all set up and the painting was finished. Troy walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. A couple hours later, Gabriella came home from work.

"Hi" Gabriella said.

"Hi" Troy said.

"How was your shift?" Gabriella asked.

"Same thing, different day. I want to show you something" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"What is it?" Gabriella asked.

"You have to close your eyes" Troy said.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

"Trust me" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"Fine" Gabriella said.

Gabriella closed her eyes and Troy covered them with his hands and guided her to the spare room. He carefully opened the door and helped Gabriella walk in. With his hands still covering Gabriella's eyes, he stopped in the middle of the room.

"Do you remember what I promised you a couple weeks ago?" Troy asked.

"That you would you would our family first" Gabriella said.

"Yes. The day after that conversation I had an idea. I wanted to prove to you that I was serious and that I will put our family first" Troy said.

"You wanted to tell me that with my eyes closed?" Gabriella asked.

Troy rolled his eyes.

"No. I did something to prove to you that I was serious" Troy said.

"What is it?" Gabriella asked.

Troy took his hands off of Gabriella's eyes.

"Open your eyes" Troy said.

Gabriella's jaw dropped. She looked around and saw the work that Troy did for their son's room and tears fell from her eyes. Gabriella looked at Troy, who smiled at her.

"That's why you haven't- "Gabriella said breathlessly.

"That's why I haven't been coming to bed. I wanted it to be a surprise. Do you like it?" Troy asked.

"I don't even know what to say" Gabriella said in shock.

Troy smiled.

"I hope that you can forgive me for the past couple of months" Troy said.

"Have you been going to work?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah. I've been exhausted, but I have been going" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Come here" Gabriella said.

Troy stood in front of Gabriella, waiting for her to yell at him. But instead, she kissed him. Troy pulled away.

"It means a lot to me. Thank you, baby" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I just wanted to keep my promise to you and I hope this shows that I am" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"It does" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. He walked out of their son's room.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Thank you for showing me that you are going to keep your promise" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled slightly and left the room. That night, Gabriella was in the bedroom. Troy thought that because they were in the place in their marriage that they were, he would sleep on the pull out bed in the living room. It was after midnight when Gabriella walked out of the bedroom to go get a glass of water. She walked into the living room and smiled when she saw Troy sleeping soundly. Gabriella walked over to the bed and placed a kiss on Troy's head and walked into the kitchen to get her water. Later that day, Troy was working on a couple of cases at the hospital. Nicole walked to the resident desk, where Troy was putting prescriptions in.

"Troy?" Nicole called.

Troy looked up and smiled.

"Hey, you have a break?" Troy asked.

Nicole took a deep breath and released it.

"Troy, Gabriella is here. She came in saying that she was having pain. I thought you should know" Nicole said.

Troy dropped what he was doing and looked up at Nicole.

"Where is she?" Troy asked.

"OB" Nicole said.

Troy nodded.

"Can you cover for me?" Troy asked.

"Of course" Nicole said.

"Thanks" Troy said.

Troy walked to the elevator and pressed the fourth floor. He took a deep breath and released it. Troy didn't know what was going on. He was pulled out of his thoughts when the elevator doors opened. Troy walked to the nurse's station.

"Gabriella Bolton" Troy said.

"Dr. Bolton, you are not on her case" a nurse said.

"I'm her husband" Troy said.

"Room 4551" the nurse said.

"Thank you" Troy said.

Troy walked down the hall to Gabriella's hospital room. He walked into the room and saw a sight that killed him. Gabriella had tears running down her face.

"Troy" Gabriella cried.

"I'm here baby. I'm right here. What happened?" Troy asked sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I was at home and I just felt a pain and then it went away. But then it came back" Gabriella said.

"Has Dr. Fields come in yet?" Troy asked.

"No" Gabriella said.

"Okay. I'm going to see- "Troy started.

"Stay with me" Gabriella cried putting her hand on his arm.

Troy nodded.

"I'm right here. Everything's going to be okay" Troy said smoothing Gabriella's hair back.

A couple hours later, Troy was sitting in a chair that was next to the hospital bed. Gabriella didn't want Troy to leave for any reason. He had paged Dr. Fields and got a message back saying that she was conducting a procedure. Troy was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard Gabriella moan in pain.

"Troy" Gabriella cried.

"Try to breathe through it, sweetheart. Big, deep breaths" Troy said.

Gabriella took a shaky deep breath.

"If this is what labor feels like, I am in trouble" Gabriella said.

Troy chuckled.

"Let's hope it's not" Troy said.

Troy leaned over and kissed Gabriella's cheek. He smoothed Gabriella's hair back. Troy then felt her relax.

"Good sweetheart. I'm going to go see if I can track down Dr. Fields and I will be right back okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Hurry back please" Gabriella said.

"I will" Troy said.

Troy left the hospital room and went to the nurse's station.

"What's the status of Dr. Fields?" Troy asked.

"She just got out of her procedure. She should be coming in soon. How's Gabriella's pain?" Nicole asked.

"It's coming and going" Troy said running his fingers through his hair.

"Okay. We'll wait for Fields to come and check her out" Nicole said.

Troy nodded.

"Troy" Nicole said.

Troy looked at Nicole.

"Breathe" Nicole said.

"This isn't an ordinary- "Troy started.

"I know it's not. But you running back and forth, pacing in the hospital room, it's not helping Gabriella" Nicole said.

Troy nodded.

"I'm the patient. If I was the doctor, this wouldn't be happening" Troy said.

"I know. Just breathe and calm down before you go back in that hospital room" Nicole said.

"Thanks" Troy said.

Troy left the nurse's station and took a deep breath and released it. He got back to Gabriella's hospital room and stood outside of it and tried to collect himself.

"Troy?" Dr. Fields called.

Troy looked up and tried to put on a fake smile.

"How's she doing?" Dr. Fields asked shaking Troy's hand.

"Um…She..." Troy started.

Dr. Fields smiled. She put her hand on Troy's shoulder.

"Troy, take a breath" Dr. Fields said.

Troy took a deep breath and released it.

"Good. Now, how is she doing?" Dr. Fields asked.

"She has been waking up with pain. I didn't want to assess or try to think of what it could be because I thought I would be breaking my promise to her. But, I don't know if it's contractions or not" Troy said.

Dr. Fields nodded.

"You're not breaking your promise to her, Troy. You are a concerned father-to-be who happens to be a doctor and doesn't want to see his wife in pain" Dr. Fields said.

Troy nodded slowly.

"Let me take a look and see what I can find, okay?" Dr. Fields said.

"Okay" Troy said softly.

Dr. Fields motioned for Troy to go into the hospital room. Troy walked into the room with Dr. Fields following.

"Hi Gabi, Troy filled me in on what's going on" Dr. Fields said.

"I don't know what it is" Gabriella said.

Troy took his seat in the chair that was next to Gabriella's bed.

"We are going to figure this out okay? Don't worry" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I don't want anything to happen to him" Gabriella said referring to their unborn son.

"Nothing is going to happen to him, Gabi. I will make sure of it" Dr. Fields said.

Dr. Fields conducted an ultrasound, an exam, drew blood, and ran other tests. An hour later, she came into the hospital room.

"Your stress level is a little higher than we would like. When you get stressed out, so does your baby okay? You have to keep it to a minimum" Dr. Fields said.

"That's what caused the pain?" Troy asked.

"Her blood levels were high and the stress test we did show that her levels were elevated. The pain was the result of that" Dr. Fields said.

"So what are the treatment options?" Troy asked.

"Gabriella needs to as stress-free as possible. I know that you being a resident has some sort of effect because of the long hours, but that's not the only thing. She needs support and I think that if there is support then her stress level will start to regulate" Dr. Fields said.

Troy nodded.

"No bed rest?" Troy asked.

"This is the first time that this has happened so I don't think that would be an option that would be beneficial right now" Dr. Fields said.

"Okay" Troy said.

"I will talk to the chief and explain the situation and to not penalize you if you cannot attend a day" Dr. Fields said.

Troy nodded.

"Thank you. Can I take her home?" Troy asked.

"I will get the discharge papers and you can be on your way" Dr. Fields said.

The couple nodded. Dr. Fields left the room. Troy looked at Gabriella and put his hand on her expanding bump.

"We got to take care of this, Brie" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"We can't be doing what we are doing anymore" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. An hour later, the couple had left the hospital and arrived at home. They walked into the apartment.

"Brie?" Troy called.

Gabriella poked her head out of the bedroom.

"Come here" Troy said.

Gabriella walked over to Troy, who opened his arms. Gabriella walked into them and wrapped her arms around Troy as far as they could go. Troy wrapped his arm around Gabriella and placed his hand on the small of her back.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"We have to keep you and the baby safe" Troy said.

"I know. I don't want you sleeping on the couch anymore" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

"I'm sorry if I scared you" Gabriella said.

"I'm just glad you both are okay" Troy said.

"Me too" Gabriella said.

"Why don't you get in bed and take a nap. You need to rest" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"I'm so sorry, baby" Troy said.

"It's not your fault. I'm the one that is carrying him, not you. I should have been more careful" Gabriella said.

"But-" Troy started but was interrupted.

"I don't want to argue about whose fault this was okay? I'm tired of arguing" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. He leaned in and kissed Gabriella one more time.

"Let me know if you need anything" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She then walked into the bedroom and got into bed and fell asleep. Troy took a deep breath and released it. A couple hours later, Gabriella came out of the bedroom and smiled when he saw that Troy had cleaned the entire apartment. She walked into the kitchen and saw Troy holding ingredients and looking at his laptop.

"What are you doing?" Gabriella asked.

"Trying to make this chicken dish that I found online a couple days ago" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. She leaned over and kissed Troy's cheek.

"Thank you for cleaning" Gabriella said.

Troy looked away from his laptop and smiled.

"Of course. How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"I needed that nap more than I thought" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Good. Any pain?" Troy asked.

"A little bit. But, it comes and goes" Gabriella said.

"We have to monitor it. If it gets worse, we have to take you back to Dr. Fields" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She walked to the bar and pulled out a stool and carefully sat down.

"Dr. Fields let the chief know what was going on. He called me to tell me that I can have the week off to be with you" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"But are you going to be behind by doing that?" Gabriella asked.

"No. In the resident handbook, it clearly states that you can't make up your hours unless there was a family emergency, which this was. So I will be fine if I miss" Troy said.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

"I also had Dr. Fields write a doctor's note and send it to the Stanford Daily News. They called me when they got it and are going to give you a week off to recover. Then I went on your computer and emailed your professors and explained what was going on and they are all going to give you an extension on your papers that are due this week" Troy said.

Gabriella was speechless.

"We need to take this seriously. If it gets worse, it could endanger you and our son" Troy said.

"Thank you baby" Gabriella said.

"I don't want to add to your stress. I want to help and if this is all I can do, then I will do it" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"That takes a lot of the pressure off. But what about pay?" Gabriella asked.

"Since Dr. Fields sent a doctor's note stating what was going on, they can't not pay you" Troy said.

Gabriella leaned in and kissed Troy's lips softly. Troy kissed her back and smiled.

"Did you call my mom?" Gabriella asked.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"No. She adds to your stress; therefore, she is not to be discussed. If she calls, I will handle it" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Dr. Fields also called saying that you have a follow-up appointment on Thursday at ten" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Gabriella took a sharp breath in. Troy saw this.

"Breathe, baby" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath in and released it.

"And again" Troy coached.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled sympathetically. He finished making dinner and the couple ate. A couple hours later, Gabriella was in the bathroom taking a bath. She needed to relax. There was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Baby, you okay?" Troy asked through the door.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"No pain?" Troy asked.

"No" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. A couple minutes later, Gabriella got out of the tub and changed into her pajamas and walked out to the living room, where Troy was watching television.

"I think I'm going to go to bed. I'm really tired. It was a long day" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Gabriella walked over to the couch and leaned over and kissed Troy's lips.

"Night. I love you" Troy said.

"Night. I love you too. Come to bed tonight, Troy" Gabriella said.

"I will in a little bit" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy watched Gabriella walk into their bedroom and smiled. This is how it was supposed to be. Peaceful.


	7. He's Trying

A couple days later, Troy had gotten up early and went for a run. After he came back, he poked his head into the bedroom and smiled when he saw Gabriella still sleeping. Troy grabbed his clothes and took a shower. When he emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later, Troy looked at the clock which read nine AM and smiled sympathetically. Gabriella had been sleeping a lot more in the past couple days than she had her whole pregnancy. Troy walked over to Gabriella's side of the bed and sat on the edge. He smoothed Gabriella's hair back and kissed her forehead.

"Baby, it's time to wake up. Your appointment is in an hour" Troy said.

Gabriella moaned sleepily.

"Come back later" Gabriella said.

Troy chuckled.

"Come on, sweetie. I know you want to sleep. But you got to wake up" Troy said.

Gabriella opened her eyes slowly and frowned.

"Come on" Troy said.

Gabriella got out of bed and took a shower. An hour later, the couple were sitting in the waiting room of Dr. Fields office. A nurse came into the waiting room.

"Gabriella?" the nurse called.

The couple stood up and followed the nurse to a room where Gabriella's vitals were taken. They were then escorted to an exam room. Gabriella changed into a gown and sat on the exam table.

"Do you feel a little more relaxed than before or no?" Troy asked.

"I feel more tired" Gabriella said.

"You've been sleeping a lot so that's probably why" Troy said.

A couple minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came into the room.

"Hi guys. How are you feeling, Gabi?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Tired" Gabriella said.

"She's been sleeping a lot more since she got out of the hospital" Troy said.

Dr. Fields nodded.

"Good. Stress is being kept to a minimum right?" Dr. Fields said.

The couple nodded.

"This is the calmest she has been in a while" Troy said.

"Good. Keep that up. I want to take a look and see how the baby is doing today" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded. Dr. Fields did an ultrasound and an exam. Gabriella sat up and looked at Troy. Troy smiled.

"Are you still having pain?" Dr. Fields asked.

"It comes and goes" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields nodded.

"Does everything look better than before?" Troy asked.

"Well, it's only been a couple days. Nothing can drastically change in only a couple days. Let's see how everything looks next month" Dr. Fields said.

The couple nodded.

"Call me if anything changes or if you have any questions" Dr. Fields said.

Dr. Fields left the room. As soon as the door closed, Gabriella started crying.

"Brie, what's wrong?" Troy asked instantly concerned.

"I don't want anything to happen to him" Gabriella cried.

Troy hugged Gabriella and held her in his arms. He kissed her cheek softly.

"We just have to do what Dr. Fields told us to do, Gabriella. If we do that then everything will fine" Troy said.

"I know. I just hope it works" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Come on. Let's get you home okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She changed back into her clothes and the couple left the hospital. That night, Troy was watching television when the phone rang. He picked it up.

"Hello?" Troy answered.

"Hi Troy, it's Maria" Maria said.

Troy got up and walked to the bedroom, where Gabriella was sleeping, and closed the door. He then walked back into the living room.

"Troy?" Maria called.

"I'm here. What's going on?" Troy asked.

"I wanted to call and check in. How is Gabriella?" Maria asked.

"She just got out of the hospital" Troy said.

"What happened?" Maria asked.

"She is stressed out and it is affecting her and the baby" Troy said.

"Is she okay?" Maria asked.

"She's okay for the time being. She took a week off from work to recover. How's Florida?" Troy asked.

"It's fine. I really like the company out here and the associates are great" Maria said.

"Is Gabi around?" Maria asked.

"Maria, I think it would be best for you not to talk to Gabriella for the remainder of her pregnancy. I know you are her mother and you feel that you can do whatever you want to do. But, Gabriella does not need to be put in the hospital again for a stress related problem that could have been easily avoided. She needs to be in a relaxed and peaceful environment" Troy explained.

"Troy, I'm her mother-" Maria started.

"Would you like something to happen to Gabriella or the baby, Maria? Gabriella has excruciating pain already. She doesn't need one more thing" Troy said.

"I can't believe-" Maria started.

"I'm done with this conversation. Good night, Maria" Troy said.

Troy hung up the phone and sighed. He heard a door open and closed his eyes. Troy opened his eyes and stood up and walked to the bedroom door, where he knew Gabriella was standing.

"How much of that did you hear?" Troy asked.

"All of it. I had a feeling it was her" Gabriella said.

"Baby, I am not saying-" Troy started.

"I understand what you were trying to do, Troy. It was sweet of you to try. But no matter where she is, she will always be my mom" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I don't want her to make life stressful, Gabriella. That's all I was trying to tell her. I'm just trying to protect you" Troy said.

"I know. Thank you for trying" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I'm sorry that I woke you up sweetheart" Troy said.

"You didn't wake me up. I had pain again" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Is it still there?" Troy asked.

"A little bit" Gabriella said.

"Come on, get back in bed" Troy said.

Gabriella walked back to bed and got under the covers. Troy tucked her in and sat on the edge of her side of the bed.

"Do you need anything?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Okay. I love you. If the pain gets worse, wake me up alright?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips softly. Gabriella put her hand on Troy's cheek and kissed him back. Troy pulled away and kissed her forehead.

"I know what you are thinking, but you have pain" Troy mumbled.

"But Dr. Fields said-" Gabriella started.

"That was before the pain happened baby. I don't feel comfortable doing that when you are having on and off again pain. I don't want to make it worse" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down and nodded. Troy put a finger under her chin and moved it so that she was looking directly at him.

"This isn't a punishment sweetheart. I don't want anything I do to make things worse" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's lips passionately and pulled back slowly.

"Get some sleep okay?" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Troy got into bed. Around two in the morning, Troy stretched his arm out and was met with the bed instead of Gabriella. He opened his eyes and saw that she was no longer in bed. Troy looked at the bathroom door and saw that the light was not on. He got out of bed and walked out to the living room. Troy didn't see Gabriella. Troy then walked to the kitchen and his eyes softened when he saw Gabriella trying to get comfortable on the kitchen stool at the counter. He saw her breathing deeply and decided to make himself known.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Troy asked.

Gabriella turned to look at Troy with tears in her eyes.

"Pain" Gabriella said.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Troy asked softly.

Gabriella shrugged.

"How long have you been up?" Troy asked.

"Maybe an hour" Gabriella said.

"An hour? Gabriella, you should have woken me up" Troy said.

"I didn't want you to worry" Gabriella said.

"Brie, you should have woken me up" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down at her hands.

"Come on" Troy said holding his hand out to her.

Gabriella took Troy's hand and the couple walked into the living room. Troy sat down and Gabriella lied down with her head in Troy's lap.

"You need to let me know when you don't feel well, baby. It's important" Troy said.

"I know. What did my mom want?" Gabriella asked changing the subject.

"She wanted to know how you were and wanted to talk to you. She's mad that I didn't let her" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"Well, she's part of the reason why I am in this position" Gabriella said.

"Yeah. How's the pain?" Troy asked.

"It's still there" Gabriella said.

"Are you excited we are having a boy?" Troy asked.

Gabriella smiled and put her hand on her expanding bump.

"Yeah. He will be just like his daddy" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Are you excited?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah" Troy said.

"Are you going to show him the resident life?" Gabriella asked.

"No. I probably will be an attending surgeon by the time he can even register that I am a doctor" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"I just hope he can wait for his daddy to be done with his shift before he thinks of coming out" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"We have four months to figure that out" Troy said.

"I know. I just want to have everything planned in all the scenarios" Gabriella said.

"If I'm home, there won't be a problem. If I am at the hospital in the middle of a procedure or something, that is when it's going to be difficult" Troy said.

"Can't you get someone to cover you?" Gabriella asked.

"It depends if there is anyone available, baby. I can't ask another resident that is not specializing in cardio to do the procedure. Plus, the attending surgeon may not let me leave" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Don't worry. We will figure it out when it gets closer" Troy said placing his hand on Gabriella's bump.

"I'm going to worry about it. This is serious, Troy" Gabriella said.

"I know it is. But, if I have someone that is open on the table, I cannot leave" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. There was a moment of silence.

"I didn't mean for that to come out so harsh, Brie. But, if a patient is open on the table for a long period of time and we have to find another resident, there is a risk of infection for the patient. That's what I'm trying to tell you. I'm not saying that I can't leave because I don't want to. I'm saying it because it could lead to other problems" Troy said.

"I guess I didn't think of all of that" Gabriella mumbled.

"And you shouldn't have to. It's my thing. If that is what happens, then I will call my parents or Tay or someone to be with you" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"And I didn't mean to make you feel bad or scare you. We just have to think about all the different scenarios and have a plan. I will try my best, baby" Troy said.

"I know" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek softly.

"How's the pain?" Troy asked.

"It's gone" Gabriella said softly.

"Okay. Come on, let's get you back to bed" Troy said.

The couple got off the couch and went to bed. A couple weeks later, Troy came home from the hospital and smiled when he saw Gabriella sleeping on the couch with papers and books surrounding her. He walked over to the couch and maneuvered carefully around Gabriella's materials and placed a kiss on her forehead and went into the bathroom and took a shower. Two hours later, Gabriella woke up and realized that she fell asleep.

"Good morning" Troy said.

Gabriella looked up and saw Troy sitting at the kitchen counter with his laptop.

"How long have you been home?" Gabriella asked sleepily.

"A couple hours. I came home and saw you passed out on the couch" Troy said.

"I'm exhausted" Gabriella said.

"How was school?" Troy asked.

"Long. My feet are swelling" Gabriella said.

"You should elevate them. It will reduce the swelling" Troy said.

"Also the bump is growing again" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"That's good right?" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled and nodded.

"How was your shift?" Gabriella asked.

"Fine. I ran into Dr. Fields" Troy said.

"Oh" Gabriella said.

"She asked how you were feeling" Troy said.

"I feel fine. It's just everything is swelling" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Any pain today?" Troy asked.

"No" Gabriella said.

"Good. What do you feel like doing today?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shrugged.

"We could go for a walk, if you are up to it" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Gabriella got off the couch and organized all of her books and study materials. She then walked over to Troy and kissed his lips.

"Hi" Troy said.

"Hi" Gabriella said.

"You ready?" Troy asked.

"Let me go get my shoes" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Gabriella put her shoes on and the couple left the house. They walked hand in hand down the street.

"Have you been feeling him move around?" Troy asked referring to their unborn son.

"I don't know. Sometimes, it feels normal. Other times, I feel like if I had butterflies in my stomach" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. Their son kicked and Gabriella didn't even know.

"When did you start feeling butterflies?" Troy asked.

"Yesterday I think" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. Gabriella was going to hit the six-month mark tomorrow. He knew that babies were supposed to start kicking around then.

"Hey Brie, what if I told you those "butterflies" that you are referring to are our son kicking" Troy said.

Gabriella stopped walked and faced Troy.

"He kicked and I didn't even notice" Gabriella said.

"You didn't know what it was sweetheart. It's okay" Troy said.

"Yeah, but you always see in movies and TV shows what it's like when a baby first kick's and that you know he kicks" Gabriella said.

"Well, now we know" Troy said.

"Our son is kicking" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled and nodded. He put his hand on Gabriella's cheek and leaned in and kissed her.

"Our son is kicking" Troy repeated.

That night, Troy walked out of the bathroom and smiled when he saw Gabriella in their bed with her shirt above her bump, staring at it.

"What are we doing?" Troy asked.

"I want to see if I can see him kick" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"You may not be able to. He's not that big yet" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at her expanding stomach and put her hand over her bellybutton and giggled. Troy smiled.

"He kicked. Come here and feel it" Gabriella said.

Troy lied down on his stomach, propping himself up with his elbows. Gabriella took Troy's hand and placed it where she felt their son kick. A couple moments later, Troy smiled.

"Does it hurt when he kicks you?" Troy asked.

"No. Like I said, it feels like butterflies. I know that it's weird since we are having a boy, but that's what it feels like" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled. He knew that when they first found out Gabriella was pregnant, she was upset. But seeing her giggle and smile over their unborn son six months later, made his heart swell.

"I love you Gabriella" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy and smiled.

"I love you too Troy" Gabriella said.

Gabriella leaned in and kissed Troy's lips softly.

"We are having a baby" Gabriella said.

"We are having a baby" Troy said looking at his wife.

The next morning, Troy's alarm went off. It was Saturday but he wanted to go to the gym before Gabriella woke up. He hit the snooze button and opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Gabriella sleeping soundly. Troy then felt something hit his stomach. He looked down and smiled when he realized that it was their son.

"Hi buddy. Daddy's here" Troy whispered.

Troy felt another kick and smiled.

"Look out for mommy while I go to the gym okay? I love you" Troy whispered.

Troy kissed Gabriella's bump softly. He then kissed Gabriella's forehead and got out of bed. A couple hours later, Troy walked into the apartment and smiled when he saw Gabriella lying on the couch watching television.

"Good morning" Troy said.

"Good morning. Where did you go?" Gabriella asked.

"I went to the gym" Troy said.

"Oh" Gabriella said.

"Did anything happen while I was gone?" Troy asked.

"No. Just kicking" Gabriella said.

"Did you feel him kicking last night?" Troy asked taking his shirt off.

"A little" Gabriella said.

"I can't believe there is a little human being inside you" Troy said.

"Coming from a doctor" Gabriella said.

"It's different when you experience it from a parent's perspective" Troy said.

Troy's pager went off. He picked it up and looked at the message and sighed.

"Baby, I have to go to the hospital for a little bit" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"You going to be okay?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Okay. Call me if you need me. Hopefully, I will be back soon" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"I love you" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

Troy left the house. Gabriella smiled. Everything was starting to fall into place. Little by little.


	8. Butterflies

A couple weeks later, Troy came home a little later than he had been in the last few weeks. He had called Gabriella a couple hours prior to let her know and to tell her to not wait up for him. Troy looked at the clock, which read eleven PM. He had been at the hospital since three that morning. Troy walked into the bedroom and raised his eyebrow. Gabriella, in lingerie, was laying in their bed reading a book.

"Do you always read law books in your underwear?" Troy asked.

Gabriella smiled.

"Sometimes" Gabriella said.

Troy walked over to the bed and kissed her lips. Gabriella kissed him back.

"Let me go take a shower before we start this-" Troy started.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

"Please baby. I smell like hospital and blood. It will take ten minutes" Troy said.

"Go" Gabriella said.

Ten minutes later, as promised, Troy emerged from the bathroom. He got into bed.

"Brie, you didn't have any pain today right?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Are you sure?" Troy asked.

"I wouldn't lie to about that" Gabriella said.

"I'm not saying you would. I just-" Troy started.

"Baby, I'm fine. I haven't had any pain today" Gabriella said.

Troy took a deep breath and released it.

"You stop me if you feel any, and I mean any, pain. Do you understand?" Troy asked seriously.

Gabriella nodded.

"It's important, Brie" Troy said.

"I know" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Clothes were shed and the couple made love for the first time since they found out Gabriella was pregnant. A couple hours later, Troy was sitting up in bed. Gabriella was sleeping soundly. He was worried that he hurt her or the baby. Gabriella stirred and opened her eyes and saw that Troy was sitting up.

"What's wrong?" Gabriella asked.

"Are you feeling okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"You sure?" Troy asked.

"We are fine, baby. I promise" Gabriella said.

"I am just-" Troy started.

"I didn't stop you did I?" Gabriella asked.

"No" Troy said.

"Then nothing happened, Troy. Don't worry. I'm okay" Gabriella said.

"I'm just trying to be careful" Troy said.

"I know and I appreciate it" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's swollen lips softly.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"Get some sleep, okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple went back to sleep. A couple days later, Gabriella was in an exam room waiting for Troy. Today was her six-month checkup. There was a knock on the door and Troy came into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Hi" Troy said kissing Gabriella's lips.

"Hi" Gabriella said.

"How are you feeling today?" Troy asked.

"Fine" Gabriella said.

"No pain?" Troy asked placing his hand on Gabriella's bump and feeling his son kick.

"No, just butterflies" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He leaned down and kissed Gabriella's stomach softly.

"Hi buddy" Troy said.

"How was your shift?" Gabriella asked.

"Long" Troy said.

There was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came into the room.

"Hi guys. How are you feeling, Gabi?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Tired" Gabriella said.

"You are in the homestretch" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Anything I need to know about?" Dr. Fields asked as she washed her hands.

"He started kicking" Gabriella said sweetly.

Troy smiled.

"Good. Right on schedule, literally" Dr. Fields said.

The couple laughed.

"Yeah, Troy told me that too" Gabriella said.

Gabriella looked at Troy, who winked at her.

"Any pain?" Dr. Fields asked.

"It's on and off. But I haven't had it for a couple of days" Gabriella said.

"Good. Let's take a look at him and see how he is doing" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella lied back. Troy took her hand in his own. Gabriella looked at Troy, who placed his free hand on Gabriella's forehead and rubbed it gently. Dr. Fields let the ultrasound heat up. Once it was heated, she lifted Gabriella's gown above her bump. Dr. Fields squeezed gel onto Gabriella's stomach and moved it around with a wand and looked at the monitor.

"There he is" Dr. Fields said pointing to the screen.

The couple smiled.

"He's so much bigger than last time" Troy said.

Tears ran down Gabriella's cheeks. She couldn't wait until she could hold her son.

"Do you have a name picked out?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Not yet. We have to work on that" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Is he okay?" Gabriella asked.

"He looks good. He's gained a little more weight" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded.

Dr. Fields moved the wand around Gabriella's stomach.

"Can you tell if her stress level has gone down?" Troy asked.

"We would have to a non-stress test to tell. But, just from this, it looks a lot better than before" Dr. Fields said.

Troy nodded. Dr. Fields turned off the ultrasound and helped Gabriella wipe the gel off her stomach.

"I'm going to go print these pictures for you and I will be right back" Dr. Fields said.

The couple nodded. Dr. Fields left the room. Troy kissed Gabriella's forehead softly.

"You happy?" Troy asked wiping tears that were running down Gabriella's face.

Gabriella nodded.

"It's crazy how a couple months ago I didn't see how our life would be able to manage a baby. But, seeing him on the ultrasound and feeling him kick all the time, I realized that this is what I wanted. I want to be able to see him say his first word, crawl and walk for the first time, sleep, and just everything. Yeah, I'm in law school and have a job. But being able to go home to see that little face, will make it all worth it" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"I love you, baby" Troy said.

"I love you too. Are you happy?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah. I feel like we were always ready. But now that we can feel him kick and see him growing inside of you, it's becoming more real and exciting" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. There was a knock at the door and Dr. Fields came into the room.

"Alright, let me examine you and get you guys out of here" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella spread her legs apart and reached for Troy's hand. Troy took Gabriella's hand and entwined her fingers with his own. Dr. Fields put a pair of gloves on and sat at the foot of the bed.

"Take a deep breath for me, Gabi" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She scrunched her nose a little when she felt Dr. Fields start to examine her. Gabriella then felt Troy kiss her forehead, then her cheek. A couple moments later, Dr. Fields threw her gloves away and Gabriella opened her eyes.

"Everything okay?" Troy asked.

"You are a little tender. But I'm assuming that is not from anything pregnancy related" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella blushed and covered her face with her free hand. Troy bit his lip and cleared his throat.

"I see it all the time, don't worry. But, just make sure you take a break in your activities a couple days before your appointment" Dr. Fields said.

The couple nodded. Dr. Fields finished talking to Troy and Gabriella and left the room. Troy helped Gabriella sit up.

"I would have thought that would have gone away already. It's been a couple days" Gabriella said.

"Pregnancy makes the body a little more sensitive. If you were not pregnant, you would not still be tender down there" Troy said.

"So then, no more sex until after he comes?" Gabriella asked.

"We can. But we have to make sure that we give enough time for your body to relax before your next appointment" Troy said.

"Oh" Gabriella said.

"I should have known that" Troy said.

"It's not your fault" Gabriella said.

"Come on, let's go home" Troy said.

The couple left Dr. Fields office. That night, Gabriella tossed and turned. The baby was kicking and wouldn't stop. Gabriella opened her eyes and sighed. She got up and walked out to the living room and lied down on the couch. Forty-five minutes later, Gabriella heard footsteps coming from the bedroom. Troy walked into the living room and turned the light on.

"What's going on?" Troy asked sleepily.

"He won't stop kicking and I couldn't sleep" Gabriella said.

Troy walked over to the couch and sat down next to Gabriella.

"It's not painful?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"I just want to go to sleep but he won't stop" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. Gabriella leaned her head against Troy's shoulder. Troy placed his hand on Gabriella's expanding stomach.

"Hey little man, your mommy needs to go to sleep" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled with her eyes closed.

"What am I supposed to do for this type of thing?" Gabriella asked.

"You are just going to have to wait it out until he stops" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and sighed.

"Why don't you try taking a bath and see if that calms him down?" Troy asked.

"Do you think it will?" Gabriella asked.

"We can only know if we try" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Go back to sleep. You have to be up in a couple hours" Gabriella said.

"I'm fine. I'll stay up" Troy said.

"I'm going to go take a bath" Gabriella said.

"Okay. Call me if you need help" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She went into the bathroom and took a bath. Twenty minutes later, Troy knocked on the closed door.

"Sweetheart, you okay?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. You can come in if you want" Gabriella said.

Troy opened the door and poked his head in.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"A little better" Gabriella said.

"He still kicking?" Troy asked.

"Yeah, but he calmed down a little" Gabriella said.

"Good" Troy said.

Ten minutes later, Troy was in bed. Gabriella was changing back into her clothes. She walked into the bedroom and Troy looked at his wife.

"Feeling a little better?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. She put her hand on her bump and looked down.

"You are just like your daddy" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. Gabriella climbed into bed and snuggled into Troy's chest.

"Wake me up if you need to" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded tiredly. An hour later, Troy's alarm went off. He hit the snooze button and rolled over. He kissed Gabriella's cheek softly and got out of bed. Troy got ready for work and went back into the bedroom and kissed Gabriella's forehead softly. She opened her eyes and moaned.

"You only got-" Gabriella started.

"I'll drink coffee when I get to the hospital" Troy said.

"Mm" Gabriella said.

Gabriella leaned in and kissed Troy's lips softly.

"I love you. I'll see you later" Troy said.

"Love you" Gabriella said tiredly.

Troy left the house. A couple hours later, Gabriella was on her way to school when her phone rang.

"Hello?" Gabriella asked.

"Gabi" Maria said.

"Troy told you not to call" Gabriella said.

"Gabriella, I'm your mother. I have a right to call and check in" Maria said.

Gabriella shook her head.

"I'm fine" Gabriella said.

"How is the baby?" Maria asked.

"Everybody's fine. I have to go to work. I'm late" Gabriella said.

"Alright. I guess it was a bad time" Maria said.

Maria and Gabriella hung up. Gabriella changed directions and started driving to the hospital. She didn't feel like going all the way to school just to be mad at her mother. Once she had arrived, Gabriella walked into the hospital and went to the front desk.

"Hi. I'm looking for Dr. Bolton" Gabriella said.

"He's in surgery right now. Who are you?" the receptionist asked looking at her computer.

"His wife, Gabriella" Gabriella said.

"Alright, Ms. Bolton. I will page him and he will be out as soon as he is finished" the receptionist said.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

Gabriella sat in the waiting room. An hour and a half later, the receptionist looked at Gabriella.

"Ms. Bolton, Dr. Bolton is out of surgery" the receptionist said.

Gabriella nodded. A couple minutes later, Troy came out to the waiting room in scrubs and saw Gabriella. He held his finger out, motioning for her to wait a minute. Troy then went to a group of people sitting down and started talking to them. Gabriella smiled at the way Troy was talking to his patient's family. A couple minutes later, the group of people left and Troy walked over to Gabriella and kneeled down in front of her.

"I hope that you are not here because you are in labor" Troy said.

"No" Gabriella said.

"What's going on?" Troy asked.

"Mom called when I was driving to school" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"What did she say?" Troy asked.

"She called to check in she said. I didn't really want to talk to her and it threw off my whole mood" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"So that's why you aren't in school?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Come on" Troy said helping her to a standing position.

Troy took Gabriella's hand and entwined his fingers with hers.

"I didn't mean to come in the middle of your shift" Gabriella said as they walked.

"You caught me at a good time. I have to make sure my interns finish their rounds in a couple hours" Troy said.

The couple walked to the elevator and got in. Troy pushed a level and went up to a floor. Once the elevator doors opened, the couple walked onto the floor.

"How's the football star doing?" Troy asked referring to their active unborn son.

Gabriella smiled.

"He stopped beating me up when my mom called" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Smart kid already" Troy said.

The couple walked down the hall.

"Which floor is this?" Gabriella asked.

"You'll see" Troy said.

The couple kept walking until Troy stopped. Troy pointed and Gabriella looked in the direction he was pointing. Gabriella's face softened. She saw all the newborn babies and smiled.

"That's going to be us soon" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She leaned her head against Troy's shoulder.

"I can't wait" Gabriella said putting her free hand on her bump.

"When I have a little break, I always come by here. In a couple months, we will be looking at this and pointing out our son" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"With or without your mom" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Brie, I told her not to call-" Troy started.

"I know you did. But, no matter what is going on, she's always going to be my mom" Gabriella said.

"I know. It just hurts me to see you upset about things that she does and says. She's not my concern. You are my concern. If she does something to upset you, then that is my concern" Troy said.

"She hasn't come to visit or anything the entire time that I've been pregnant" Gabriella said.

"Exactly. Which is why she shouldn't be calling. Especially now that you are only a couple months away from your due date. If she keeps calling and stressing you out and you go into pre-term-" Troy started.

"Troy, you being mad isn't going to solve anything" Gabriella said calmly.

Troy closed his eyes and took a deep breath and released it. He opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry" Troy said softly.

Gabriella smiled.

"I know that what she is doing makes you mad. It makes me mad too and she has been doing this my whole life. No, I would not like to go into pre-term labor. But she's my mom. Yeah she is doing all of this and pretending like everything is fine when it's not. But, I can't block her out" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I just don't want anything to happen to you or him. You don't need the stress" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I mean, it makes me sad too. But I didn't choose this. She did and she will have to live with the consequences of that" Gabriella said truthfully.

"I know it does baby. We just got to figure out a way around her" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple continued to discuss how to deal with Gabriella's mother. That night, Gabriella was sitting up in bed reading. Troy came into the bedroom and smiled.

"How are we doing in here?" Troy asked.

"Good" Gabriella said.

"Feeling okay?" Troy asked sitting on the edge of Gabriella's side of the bed.

Gabriella smiled and nodded. She took Troy's hand and placed it on her expanding stomach and looked at him. A couple moments later, Troy smiled brightly.

"Hi buddy" Troy said.

Troy leaned down and kissed Gabriella's bump softly.

"He's been doing summersaults in there" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"It still feels like butterflies though?" Troy asked.

"Yeah, but he's getting stronger" Gabriella said.

"Well that's a good thing" Troy said.

"Yeah, but sometimes he kicks my ribs and that hurts" Gabriella said.

Troy rubbed Gabriella's bump in soothing circles.

"We have to start coming up with names" Troy said randomly.

"I know. Do you have any ideas?" Gabriella asked.

"Not yet. I'll have to think of some. Do you have any?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"We still have a while until he comes. We have time" Troy said.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

The rest of the day the couple relaxed around the house.


	9. I'm Going To Be There For Everything

Troy woke up and looked at the clock and saw that it read two thirty AM. Gabriella had been tossing and turning and said she was feeling like she was claustrophobic for the last few days. Troy smiled when he saw Gabriella sitting up and going in and out of sleep.

"Baby, if you need me to move over a little bit to make you more comfortable I will" Troy said.

"No. I want you to stay where you are" Gabriella said.

"Are you sure?" Troy asked.

"I need to go get some pillows from the living room" Gabriella said.

"I'll get them" Troy said.

Troy got out of bed and walked into the living room and picked up a couple pillows and brought them into the bedroom. He handed them to Gabriella and watched her put them in places on her side of the bed where she needed them.

"You need some more or are you okay?" Troy asked.

"I'm okay. Thanks" Gabriella said.

"No problem. Wake me up if you need me" Troy said.

The couple went back to sleep. A couple hours later, Troy woke up and saw that Gabriella was sleeping soundly with the sheets and blankets not covering her body and that all the pillows that she assembled were now on the ground. He smiled. Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly. He got up and walked to her side of the bed and picked up the pillows that were on the ground and brought them back to the living room. Troy then walked back to the bedroom and pulled the covers up to Gabriella's shoulder. After he made sure that Gabriella was comfortable, Troy got ready for work. An hour later, Gabriella woke up and saw that Troy had left for work. She got up and looked down.

"Why did you have to make last night so difficult for mommy?" Gabriella asked her bump.

Gabriella giggled when she felt a kick come in contact with her hand. A couple hours later, Troy came home and saw that Gabriella had left for school. He took a shower and cleaned the house. He then took his computer and started researching vacation locations. Troy wanted to take Gabriella on their last vacation before their son arrived. After an hour of researching, he had settled on Hawaii. Troy just had to clear it with Dr. Fields just to make sure it was safe for Gabriella to fly. That night, Troy heard the front door open and poked his head out of the kitchen and smiled when he saw Gabriella putting her purse down.

"Hey baby, how was your day?" Troy asked.

"Exhausting. I can't touch my feet anymore" Gabriella said.

"Did he give you hard time today?" Troy asked.

"He doesn't let me bend down and I have to go to the bathroom every single hour" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. The couple walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Troy took Gabriella's feet and placed them in his lap. He took Gabriella's shoes and socks off and heard her moan in relief.

"Feel better?" Troy asked.

"Yes" Gabriella mumbled.

"So, I have a surprise for you" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at her husband and raised her eyebrow.

"What is it?" Gabriella asked.

"So, since our son will be making his appearance in a few months and we will be basically home bound, I was thinking that we could go on one last adventure just the two of us before he came" Troy said.

"Where is this adventure going to take place?" Gabriella asked.

"I researched a couple different places and came up with Hawaii" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Really? But wait, is it- "Gabriella started.

"It's safe for you to fly. I called Dr. Fields to check. But, she wants to see you before we go" Troy said.

"When is this happening?" Gabriella asked.

"Two weeks from tomorrow. I booked the flight and hotel. I also made your appointment with Dr. Fields the day before we leave" Troy said.

"I don't even know what to say" Gabriella said.

"Our last trip before our little man is here" Troy said.

Tears ran down Gabriella's cheeks. Troy smiled and kissed her cheek.

"I'm happy. Honestly I just-" Gabriella started.

"I know and its okay baby" Troy said.

Gabriella sniffled.

"I have to go shopping then" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Yeah" Troy said.

"I have to be able to dress the bump" Gabriella said looking down at her expanding stomach.

"Well, I will leave that up to you" Troy said.

Gabriella leaned in and kissed Troy's lips.

"Thank you baby. This was really sweet" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I just thought that we have a little over two months until he's here and that we need to really take some time for ourselves" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. A couple days later, Troy came home from work and smiled when he saw shopping bags scattered all over the living room.

"Troy?" Gabriella called.

"Yes?" Troy called back.

"Can you tell me if this looks okay?" Gabriella asked from the bedroom.

Troy smiled. He sat on the couch.

"Come here and let me see" Troy said.

Gabriella came out of the bedroom in a bikini. Troy smiled.

"I'm not sure if I should wear a one-piece or this" Gabriella said.

"I like this one. But, the question is, do you like it? I want you to be comfortable" Troy said.

"I like it. Plus, it shows off the bump. I want to be able to get some pictures of it when we are there" Gabriella said.

"So, you are keeping this one?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"What else did you get?" Troy asked.

"Some flat shoes because I don't want to wear tennis shoes or wedges there" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

"You really think this bikini looks okay?" Gabriella asked placing her hand on her bump.

Troy smiled.

"Yeah. You look beautiful, Brie" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"How was your day?" Troy asked changing the subject.

"Fine. He's been kicking like crazy" Gabriella said.

"He wants out" Troy said.

"Don't say that. He can hear you" Gabriella said putting her hands on each side of her bump.

Troy chuckled.

"He's going to have to come out eventually. Mom said that I was overdue" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"I don't want him to be overdue" Gabriella said.

"Baby" Troy said.

"I don't want to think about it right now" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"Sweetheart, listen to me for a minute okay?" Troy said softly.

Troy motioned for Gabriella to sit next to him on the couch. Gabriella walked over to the couch and sat down.

"We haven't-" Gabriella started.

"I know. We haven't talked about it. I shouldn't have brought it up like that" Troy said.

"It's not that I don't want to think about him coming out. I just am nervous about it" Gabriella said.

"I know and that's okay, Brie. It's normal. But at some point, in the next two months, we are going to have to discuss it with each other and with Dr. Fields. We are running out of time to not think about it" Troy said gently.

Gabriella nodded.

"It just snuck up on me. I knew it was coming, but I didn't think it would go this fast" Gabriella said.

"I understand" Troy said.

"I don't want him to be overdue, Troy" Gabriella said with tears in her eyes.

"Baby, come here" Troy said.

Gabriella placed her head on Troy's chest. Troy put one of his hands on Gabriella's bump and the other around her waist.

"I wasn't saying that he was going to be overdue. I was just saying that I was. I didn't mean to scare you" Troy said.

"But I hadn't even thought of that. The thought of him being overdue scares me" Gabriella said.

"I know. But if he's overdue, then we will deal with it then. Right now, we don't know if he is or isn't. I was just trying to start talking about it so we can figure out some things. That's all" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly.

"I want him to come out. But I am scared of him actually coming out" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Why are you scared?" Troy asked.

"I'm scared of the pain and if something goes wrong" Gabriella said.

"Besides the pain early on, you have had a healthy pregnancy. There shouldn't be anything that goes wrong. I'll be with you the whole time too" Troy said.

"And I am scared that you will be in surgery when it's time and you miss the birth" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"You said some stuff a couple months ago about that" Gabriella continued.

Troy nodded. He remembered what he said and now felt terrible for saying it.

"I can't leave the OR if the procedure has already started because there is a risk of infection. But, if I am in a meeting or an appointment, I can come right to you. I promise you baby, I won't miss it" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"It's just the thought of not knowing" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"If that happens, I will take care of it. You shouldn't be worrying about that" Troy said.

"But I do. It's not like my mom can just come to the hospital. You are my family" Gabriella said.

"I know. We will just have to figure it out when it gets to that point. We don't know if you will go into labor when I'm working" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"What if you can't make it in time?" Gabriella asked.

Troy was silent. He didn't want to scare Gabriella or have the idea of her giving birth to their son alone in her head.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy bit his lip.

"Tell me the truth" Gabriella said seriously.

"If I can't make it, you will have to give birth to him alone" Troy said slowly and watched her face.

Troy saw that Gabriella was trying to put on a brave face. Gabriella nodded.

"If that happens or there is any indication of that happening, I can call Tay and she could try and come over here" Troy said.

Troy knew that he had completely freaked Gabriella out.

"Baby, talk to me" Troy said softly.

"I don't want Tay there. If you can't be there, nobody else should be able to be there" Gabriella said.

"You need to have someone there with you. I'm not going to let you do that by yourself" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. The couple continued to talk about the birth of their unborn son. That night, Gabriella was already in bed. She had gotten really emotional when she and Troy started talking about the possibility of Troy not making it for the birth of their son. Gabriella felt a weight on the other side of the bed and then arms around her waist, cupping her seven-month bump.

"Don't be mad, please" Troy said.

"I'm not mad" Gabriella said softly.

"You haven't said anything since earlier" Troy said.

"I just don't want to talk about it anymore" Gabriella said.

"Brie" Troy started.

"No Troy. You don't understand how I feel about this. I don't want my mom, Tay, or anybody to be in a delivery room while I am in labor and delivering our first child. I want you there. My husband. The father of my child. I'm scared out of my mind, Troy. I don't want to feel like I'm coming in second again" Gabriella said tearing up.

Troy took a deep breath and released it.

"Can we just talk about something else?" Troy asked.

"We can't avoid it" Gabriella said.

"I'm not trying to. I already told you that I would try. Can't you take my word for it?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked down at Troy's hands.

"Yes" Gabriella said softly.

"I don't mean to make you feel like you are coming in second. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She turned over and faced Troy. Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled sympathetically.

"I'm just scared, Troy" Gabriella said.

"I know you are baby. I'm going to do everything I can to be with you if it happens during my shift" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips.

"You are concerned and I understand that, Brie. If I was in your position, I would be too" Troy said.

Gabriella snuggled as close as she could.

"It's our first baby and I'm still figuring all of this out too" Troy said.

"I know and I know that you have been trying" Gabriella said.

"Get some sleep okay?" Troy said kissing Gabriella's forehead.

Gabriella nodded. The couple fell asleep. A couple days later, Gabriella parked her car at Dr. Fields office. She got out of the car carefully and walked into the office. Gabriella signed herself in and sat down. She wasn't there for her monthly appointment, instead she was there to discuss the birth of her son because she was very nervous about it. Gabriella's name was called and she followed a nurse into an office space.

"Dr. Fields will be right with you" the nurse said.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

The nurse left the office and closed the door behind her. Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. She hoped that this wouldn't start an argument between her and Troy because she had come in and not told him. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came into the office.

"Hi Gabi, how are you feeling?" Dr. Fields asked.

"All of the above" Gabriella joked.

Dr. Fields smiled as she sat down at her desk, which was in front of Gabriella.

"What can I do for you today? The resident at the check-in desk had told me you were concerned about something" Dr. Fields said opening a file.

"I just wanted to know exactly how the whole labor and delivery is going to go. I'm really nervous about it. Troy and I have talked about it but it doesn't ease my fears" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields nodded and smiled warmly.

"It's okay to be nervous. It's your first baby. I was nervous about mine and I was a doctor back then too" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I'm assuming one of those fears includes Dr. Bolton being in the middle of a procedure when you deliver" Dr. Fields said.

Tears stung in Gabriella's eyes. She closed them and nodded. The tears ran down her face and she took a deep breath and released it. Gabriella opened her eyes and looked at Dr. Fields, who handed her a tissue box.

"Gabi, one of the things that this hospital does is make sure that our staff is taken care of. Yes, Troy is a cardiothoracic surgeon resident and could be in the middle of an open-heart surgery when you go into labor or the delivery room. But, we make sure that he is informed and up to speed when something happens or changes. I know that it's scary to not know" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella took a tissue and wiped her eyes.

"Would you like me to page him so we could talk about this together?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella nodded.

'If he's not busy" Gabriella said softly.

Dr. Fields smiled and nodded.

"I'll be right back" Dr. Fields said.

Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Dr. Fields came back into her office and sat down at her desk again.

"I had the nurse page him" Dr. Fields said.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Troy opened the door and poked his head in.

"Hello" Troy said.

"Hi Troy" Dr. Fields said.

"Hi baby" Gabriella said sniffling.

Troy sat down next to Gabriella and saw that she had been crying. He looked at Dr. Fields.

"What's going on?" Troy asked.

Dr. Fields looked at Gabriella, who nodded.

"Gabi wanted to come in today to discuss the labor and delivery process. She mentioned that she was nervous about it mostly because we don't know if you are going to be in the middle of a procedure or surgery. She wanted to have a plan if that happened" Dr. Fields explained.

Troy nodded.

"I told her and I am sure that you know, that our hospital makes sure that our staff is taken care of and if something came up, we would make sure that you are aware of what's going on in the event that you were in the middle of surgery" Dr. Fields said.

Troy nodded.

"What is the plan?" Troy asked.

"That's what we are going to figure out and why I paged you" Dr. Fields said.

"I wanted to make sure that you knew what was going on and that you wouldn't be out of the loop. I knew that you would have been upset if you had known I came to talk to Dr. Fields alone and didn't tell you about it" Gabriella said tearfully.

Troy nodded.

"Can we have-" Troy started.

"Of course" Dr. Fields said.

"Thanks" Troy said.

Dr. Fields left the office. Once the door closed, Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Baby, look at me" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"I didn't want you to be out of the loop and I know that we argue about the whole thing about you being in the middle of surgery" Gabriella cried.

"Brie, you did the right thing by paging me and having me come in. I agree that we need to talk about this. The three of us. I'm not mad, baby" Troy said.

Gabriella sniffled and nodded. Troy smiled sympathetically. He leaned over and kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

Troy wiped the remaining tears away from Gabriella's face.

"Okay. So let's talk about this. The three of us" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Troy let Dr. Fields back into the office. She sat down in her chair and looked at the couple. An hour later, Troy and Gabriella walked out of Dr. Fields office. Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Do you want me to come home with you?" Troy asked.

"Do you have any surgeries today?" Gabriella asked.

"That wasn't the question" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy and nodded.

"Okay. I have to run by the resident office and get my stuff" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

The couple walked to the resident office. Gabriella waited in the hallway for Troy. A couple minutes later, Troy came out of the office with his bag and held out his hand, which Gabriella took. The couple walked out of the hospital and went to Gabriella's car and drove home. That afternoon, Gabriella was taking a nap. Troy was making sure that his schedule was clear for the next week while he and Gabriella were in Hawaii. He felt a bulge on his back and arms wrap around his shoulders. Troy looked up and smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked offering his lap.

Gabriella sat down on Troy's leg carefully and put her arm around his shoulder, leaning her head against his.

"Better" Gabriella said.

"No pain?" Troy asked.

"Just butterflies" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Good" Troy said.

"What are you doing?" Gabriella asked.

"I'm making sure that I have no appointments or surgeries that are scheduled next week" Troy said.

"Oh" Gabriella said.

Gabriella buried her face in Troy's neck and wrapped her arms around him. Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek softly.

"You okay baby?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Just emotional" Gabriella mumbled.

Troy smiled.

"About what?" Troy asked as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"Everything" Gabriella said.

"Is it about what happened today?" Troy asked.

"Kind of" Gabriella said.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Troy asked.

"I don't want to argue" Gabriella said.

"We aren't going to argue. If you want to talk about it, then let's talk about it" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I didn't mean to go behind your back and make that appointment" Gabriella said.

"Brie, you had concerns that you wanted to talk to your doctor about. Yeah, I would have liked to have known about it before getting called in. But you didn't know that was going to happen. You are the one that physically has to go through this. I kind of have it easy and don't have to go through any of that. This is your pregnancy, Gabriella. If you have concerns, questions, fears, or whatever it is, you can go to Dr. Fields and talk to her about them. I'm not going to be offended or upset. It's normal to have questions or fears" Troy said.

"I just didn't want to argue or think about it anymore" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I understand, sweetheart. I do" Troy said.

"I just wanted to know how everything was going to go. Then she told me about the hospital policy regarding their staff" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Even if I am in surgery or a procedure or an appointment with a patient, I will be updated on what's going on. If that is what happens" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She placed her hand on her bump and took a deep breath and released it.

"If you can't be there when I'm in labor, but you are there for the birth, I would be fine with that" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He took her hand in his own.

"I'm going to be there for all of it. Labor, delivery, all of it okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's forehead softly.


	10. Can't Leave Without One Problem

A couple days later, Troy walked into the obstetrics office and smiled at Nicole, who was making sure all of the patient's files were up to date.

"Troy, she's in room five" Nicole said.

"Thanks" Troy said.

Troy walked to room five and knocked on the door. When he heard Gabriella's voice, Troy walked into the exam room.

"Hi baby" Troy said kissing her lips.

"Hi" Gabriella said.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Fine. I started packing and making sure that I had everything" Gabriella said.

"You're not lifting the suitcase right?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Good. Let me do that" Troy said.

There was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came into the room.

"Hi guys" Dr. Fields said.

"Hi" the couple said simultaneously.

"How are you feeling Gabi?" Dr. Fields asked as she washed her hands.

"Tired and a little achy" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields nodded.

"You are two months away. Are you getting excited?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella smiled and nodded.

"How's the pain situation?" Dr. Fields asked.

"It's on and off" Gabriella said.

"Good. Baby still kicking?" Dr. Fields asked as she wrote notes in Gabriella's file.

"Yeah. Mostly at night" Gabriella said.

"Okay. I know that you came in and talked to me about it already, but do you have any more questions?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy, who smiled at her.

"The birth itself. On a scale of one to ten. How bad is the pain?" Gabriella asked.

Troy smiled.

"Depends" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I can't say it will be excruciating or that you feel nothing. It will depend on your pain tolerance" Dr. Fields said.

The couple nodded.

"As far as maternity leave, when would be an ideal time to start that?" Troy asked.

"Probably when she's about to hit nine months. Maybe sooner. We just have to monitor everything and if it looks good, we can extend it" Dr. Fields said.

Troy nodded.

"I know that for you, it's when the baby comes" Dr. Fields said.

"Yeah. I talked to the chief and he told me that too" Troy said.

The couple and Dr. Fields talked for a little while longer. Dr. Fields did an ultrasound and exam and told the couple to contact her if they had any questions. The couple walked out of the office.

"He's healthy, that's what matters" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I guess I should start talking to the newspaper advisors about maternity leave" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"And your professors" Troy added.

Gabriella nodded.

"At least we can go on vacation and just relax for a little bit" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Are you all packed?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. I just need to add my vitamins and that's it" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. That night, Troy was watching television in the bedroom. Gabriella came into the room with one hand on her back and one hand on her bump.

"My back hurts" Gabriella said.

"Come here" Troy said.

Gabriella went over to the bed and sat down. Troy carefully started to massage Gabriella's back.

"It's never hurt this bad before" Gabriella said.

"He's getting bigger and there is more weight to carry" Troy said.

Gabriella moaned.

"Sorry sweetie. Am I rubbing too hard?" Troy asked.

"No. It just aches" Gabriella said.

"Just relax. Do you want to try to take a bath?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Okay. Come on, I'll help you" Troy said.

Troy got up and walked over to Gabriella's side of the bed and helped her to a standing position.

"I hope he's not like this the entire week" Gabriella said.

"Baby, you are seven months pregnant. It's going to be a little uncomfortable, yes. But we just have to make you as comfortable as you can get" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down at her bump.

"Come on. I'll help you" Troy said taking her hand.

Gabriella followed Troy into the bathroom. The next day, the couple just got onto the plane and took their seats. Gabriella leaned her head against Troy's shoulder and rested one hand on her bump and the other around Troy's arm. Troy looked down at Gabriella and kissed her head softly. He heard her moan in her sleep.

"You feeling okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Just got up early" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. The plane took off. An hour later, Gabriella woke up and Troy looked at her and smiled.

"Hi sleepyhead" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled tiredly.

"Do you want some water?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. Troy handed Gabriella a cup of water and watched her sip it.

"Did he keep you up last night?" Troy asked putting his hand on Gabriella's expanding stomach.

Gabriella nodded.

"Only two months left until he's here" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly and nodded.

"What do you want to do first when we land?" Troy asked.

"Sleep" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"After you take a nap, what do you want to do?" Troy asked.

"Maybe go to the beach or the pool" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

"What do you want to do?" Gabriella asked.

"I want you to take a nap. This trip is about us and the last time we are going to be traveling as just the two of us. But we need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself too" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Thanks baby" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. Gabriella went back to sleep and Troy took the opportunity to also fall asleep. A couple hours later, Troy was sitting up in his seat and looked out of the window and smiled. He kissed Gabriella's cheek softly.

"Sweetheart, we are going to land soon" Troy whispered into her ear.

Gabriella moaned and nodded sleepily.

"I'm going to put your seatbelt on okay?" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said opening her eyes.

Troy put Gabriella's seatbelt on. An hour later, the couple's plane landed and they rented a car and drove to their hotel. Once they got into their hotel room, Gabriella lied down on the bed.

"I didn't think the flight would be that exhausting" Gabriella said.

"It was hot and it was cramped" Troy said.

"You were cramped? How do you think I felt?" Gabriella asked.

Troy smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry" Troy said.

Gabriella took a nap while Troy looked through brochures of what there was to do. Two hours later, Gabriella woke up and stretched her arms out. Troy looked up and smiled.

"Have a nice nap?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Do you want to go to the beach or the pool for a little bit?" Gabriella asked.

"Do you want to?" Troy asked.

"I'm asking you" Gabriella said.

"Yeah, I'll go" Troy said.

The couple changed into their swim suits. They walked downstairs to the pool and got in.

"Don't push yourself too hard, babe" Troy said as he watched Gabriella try to do a breast stroke.

"It feels nice" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled and swam over to Gabriella. They swam and lied out by the pool and stole kisses from each other. A couple hours later, they had just got back to their room from dinner. Troy walked into the bedroom and Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips sweetly. He pulled back and smiled.

"What was that for?" Troy asked.

"For everything. This trip, you trying to figure out what will happen when I go into labor, for taking care of me the last seven months. We argued and fought, but we got through it and had some good moments too" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He put his hand on Gabriella's cheek.

"I'll always take care of you. No matter what. Yeah, it hasn't been easy. But we've been figuring things out little by little. I love you and I've been trying to sort everything out because of that. So that when he comes out, we can show him the life that we are putting together for him" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"He's going to have a good life" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Maybe he will be a doctor" Gabriella said.

"If he wants to be. I'm not pushing a basketball into his hands either" Troy said.

"I just hope that our marriage stays the same" Gabriella said.

Troy sat down on the bed and Gabriella stood in front of him. He looked at Gabriella and saw her eyes filled with tears. Troy took her hand in his and entwined their fingers together.

"Nothing will change baby. I mean, yes there are things that are going to change. We will have a baby. But, you and I, our marriage, none of that will change" Troy said.

"We can always ask grandma to watch him for a night too" Troy said.

Gabriella giggled.

"Speaking of grandma" Gabriella started.

"Hey, we aren't going to talk about your mom or any of that this week okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She wrapped her arms around Troy's neck and raised her eyebrow. Troy chuckled.

"I love you" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

Gabriella kissed Troy's lips. Troy put his hands on Gabriella's hips and kissed her back. He helped Gabriella lie down and hovered over her. Gabriella kissed Troy again, this time more passionately. Troy pulled away and looked into Gabriella's eyes.

"Are you sure?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"You aren't having pain?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"You tell me if you are in pain okay?" Troy said.

"I know" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

The couple made love into the early morning. Later that day, Troy and Gabriella walked to the beach and dipped their feet in the ocean.

"You ready to be a daddy?" Gabriella asked randomly.

Troy smiled.

"At the beginning, no. But now, I can't wait. Are you ready to be a mommy?" Troy asked placing his hand on Gabriella's bump.

Gabriella smiled and nodded.

"I can't wait to see his face for the first time" Gabriella said.

"Me too. We have to figure out his name, Brie" Troy said.

"I know. Maybe this week we can figure that out" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. A couple days later, Troy woke up and smiled when he saw Gabriella snuggled as close as she could get to him. Her expanding bump pressing against Troy's stomach. Troy smiled when he felt their unborn son kick his stomach.

"Easy buddy. You aren't a professional soccer player yet" Troy joked.

Gabriella stirred and opened her eyes slowly.

"Did that kick wake you up?" Troy asked.

"You talking to him woke me up" Gabriella said.

"Sorry" Troy said.

"Don't be. It's cute that you talk to him" Gabriella said.

"The OB residents have been telling me that we should be talking to him" Troy said.

"Oh yeah?" Gabriella said.

Troy pulled the covers down and put his hand on Gabriella's bare bump. He leaned down and kissed it gently.

"What do you want to do today?" Troy asked.

"Just relax" Gabriella said.

"Getting a little tired?" Troy asked.

"I love it here but it's always nice to be home" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Do you feel like laying out by the pool?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

The couple got ready to go out to the pool. They walked downstairs and lied out on the pool chairs.

"I like the name Brandon" Gabriella said randomly.

Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled.

"Brandon Bolton" Troy said.

"What do you think?" Gabriella asked.

"I like it. That is one to put on the list" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

"You want to go in the pool?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. The couple got into the pool and swam for a little while. That night, Gabriella was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when she felt a pain in her stomach. She finished brushing her teeth and walked out of the bathroom.

"Troy?" Gabriella said.

Troy looked up from the television and saw the concern in Gabriella's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked.

"I was brushing my teeth and I felt pain. I don't know what it was" Gabriella said.

"Come here" Troy said.

Gabriella walked over to Troy.

"Show me where" Troy said.

Gabriella showed Troy where she felt the pain. Troy put his hand on Gabriella's stomach and took a deep breath and released it.

"What?" Gabriella asked.

"Is that the only pain that you felt today?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded, not knowing what was going on.

"What is it, Troy?" Gabriella asked.

"I've only seen that a couple times. But, I am a ninety-five percent sure that you just had a contraction" Troy said.

"But I'm only-" Gabriella started.

"Hey, just relax for a minute. Let me explain" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"It's false labor contractions. They are harmless, but we have to keep an eye on them. In the morning, we should call Dr. Fields and let her know what's going on too" Troy said.

"So what does that mean? Am I in labor?" Gabriella asked.

"No. It's common to have them. You are two months away from your due date, which means your body is starting to get ready for him to come out. Hence, the contraction that you had" Troy said.

Gabriella put her hand on her bump and looked down nervously.

"Take a deep breath for me, baby" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"Everything's okay. We just have to monitor it" Troy said.

"I know that I said a couple months ago that you aren't my doctor-" Gabriella started.

"Hey, that doesn't matter right now Gabriella" Troy said gently.

"So what do we do now?" Gabriella asked.

"Nothing. We continue with what we are doing. You are not in labor" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple got into bed and Gabriella snuggled into Troy's chest. She inhaled Troy's scent and relaxed.

"Maybe I do need your advice" Gabriella said.

"Sweetheart, it's not my specialty. But I want to know what's going on and how we are going to deal with something like this" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"It's my job. Get some sleep. Wake me up if you have another one" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

The couple fell asleep. The next morning, Gabriella woke up early. She picked up her phone and called Dr. Fields office and explained what she was feeling. Troy had woken up when she was in the middle of talking to Dr. Fields. He let Gabriella talk to her doctor. A couple minutes later, Gabriella walked into the bedroom.

"What did she say?" Troy asked.

Gabriella sat down on the bed.

"She basically said the same thing that you did. She said that it's normal" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Have you had anymore since that one?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Okay. Just take it easy. That's all we can do right now" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The rest of the day the couple relaxed in the hotel room and watched movies.


	11. We Are Ready

Gabriella wrapped her arm around Troy's a little tighter and tried to get comfortable. They had been sitting on the plane home from their vacation for three hours and Gabriella just wanted to be on the ground. Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled sympathetically.

"Baby, do you want to put your seat back a little so you will be more comfortable?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head tiredly. It had been a couple days since Gabriella had felt her first contraction and Troy was trying to make her as comfortable as he could.

"You sure?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Thank you though" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Almost home sweetheart" Troy said.

Troy knew that Gabriella was still a little shaken up because it had happened while they were away from home and were not near Dr. Fields.

"Thank you for setting this trip up, Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He leaned down and kissed Gabriella's lips sweetly.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"Feeling okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"I just want to be home" Gabriella said.

"I know. Try and sleep a little bit. It will help the time go faster" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She leaned her head against Troy's arm and fell asleep. A couple hours later, the couple was settled at home. Gabriella walked into the living room and smiled at Troy, who was watching television.

"You look happier" Troy said.

"I feel a little better" Gabriella said.

"Good" Troy said.

Gabriella walked over to the couch and sat down next to Troy. She snuggled into Troy's chest and sighed.

"Happy to be home?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"I loved being away from home, but there isn't any place like it" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. A couple weeks later, Gabriella came home from work frustrated.

"Troy?" Gabriella called.

Troy poked his head out from the kitchen.

"Hi baby" Troy said.

"How was the office? Wait, why are you all wet?" Troy asked.

"I had to go to the bathroom when I was driving home but then I hit traffic and I couldn't hold it anymore. So I just urinated" Gabriella said embarrassed.

Troy smiled.

"Go take a shower and we'll talk about it after okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She went into the bathroom and took a shower. Twenty minutes later, Gabriella came out of the bathroom in one of Troy's shirts that now hit her thigh because of her bump. She walked into the living room and sat down next to Troy.

"Feel a little better?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"I should have taken side streets" Gabriella said.

"Brie, you are pregnant. It happens sometimes" Troy said.

"Yeah, but I thought I would be able to hold it" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"How's the soccer player?" Troy asked.

"I'm mad at him" Gabriella said looking down at her bump.

Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly.

"He's just trying to get comfortable in there" Troy said.

Troy put his hand on Gabriella's stomach and felt his son kick his hand.

"You have an appointment tomorrow right?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"She said that she's going to check me and make sure that everything is good to go" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled and nodded.

"What time?" Troy asked.

"Same time" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Gabriella closed her eyes and took a deep breath and released it. Troy noticed.

"Brie?" Troy called.

"Wait a minute" Gabriella said breathlessly.

Troy took Gabriella's hand in his own. He realized what was going on.

"Breathe sweetheart. Big, deep breaths" Troy said as he smoothed Gabriella's hair back with his free hand.

Gabriella took a couple deep breaths and then relaxed.

"Is it over?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. She looked at Troy with tears in her eyes.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella just wrapped her arms around Troy and buried her face into his neck. Troy put his hand on the small of Gabriella's back and rubbed it gently.

"I just want them to stop" Gabriella said softly.

"I know you do. But think of it this way, we are one step closer to seeing him" Troy said.

"We still have a month and a half left" Gabriella said.

"Yeah but it's getting close" Troy said.

"I'm scared" Gabriella mumbled.

"Think of it like when you just started showing. You were kind of upset about it and then you got used to it and realized what was happening" Troy said.

"I guess" Gabriella said.

"We can talk to Dr. Fields tomorrow and see what she thinks" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. That night, Gabriella woke up and put her hand on her bump. She looked at the time which read five-thirty AM. Gabriella felt another pain like she had in Hawaii and the night before. She picked up her phone and dialed Troy's office number.

"Cardiothoracic surgery. This is Natalie, how may I help you today?" Natalie, a receptionist asked.

"I need to speak with Dr. Bolton. This is his wife, Gabriella" Gabriella said.

"Let me connect your call, Ms. Bolton" Natalie said.

Gabriella cursed under her breath when she was put on hold. A couple minutes later, Troy's voice filled the phone.

"Brie, what's wrong?" Troy asked.

"I had another one" Gabriella said.

"Was it just one?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Okay. Thank you for letting me know, baby. Everything else okay?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Alright. Go back to sleep. I'll see you when you get here" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

The couple hung up. Later that day, Gabriella was sitting in an exam room and there was a knock on the door. Troy came into the room and smiled sympathetically.

"Have any more?" Troy asked kissing Gabriella's lips.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Okay" Troy said.

"How was your shift?" Gabriella asked.

"Busy. Right after you called, it was crazy" Troy said.

"Oh" Gabriella said.

There was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came into the room.

"Hi guys" Dr. Fields said.

"Hi" the couple said.

"How are you feeling Gabriella?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Tired. I've been having contractions" Gabriella said.

"How often?" Dr. Fields asked as she washed her hands.

"When Troy and I went on vacation, I had my first one. Then, I had one last night. This morning I had another one" Gabriella said.

"Okay. They are inconsistent. So that's good. We want to keep him in there as long as possible" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Let's take a look and see how he's doing" Dr. Fields said.

Dr. Fields gave Gabriella her routine check-up. An hour later, the couple left the office and walked down the hall of the hospital. Troy was going to go home with Gabriella. The conversation that they had with Dr. Fields was one that was needed, but had brought all of Gabriella's fears to the surface. Once the couple got home, Gabriella went into the bedroom and looked at her side of the closet and sighed. She started to put together outfits for when she went into labor.

"What are you doing baby?" Troy asked.

"Packing my hospital bag" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"I know you are upset, but we needed to have that conversation sweetheart" Troy said.

"We just keep talking about it and now that I'm having these contractions, it scares me even more" Gabriella said.

"I know. But, like you and I talked about, I'm going to be there for everything" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Having an early baby wasn't what I had thought would happen" Gabriella said.

"Me either. But, it may happen. She's not saying it will. But there is a possibility" Troy said.

"I don't like that it's even a possibility" Gabriella said.

Troy sighed.

"Do you want some help?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked at her closet and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and released it.

"Brie?" Troy called.

"I'm fine. Yes, please" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled slightly.

"What do you need me to do?" Troy asked.

The couple packed Gabriella's hospital bag. Later that night, Troy was watching television in the living room so that Gabriella could sleep. He saw the bedroom door open and Gabriella walk out.

"Hey sleepyhead" Troy said.

Gabriella sat down on the couch and snuggled into Troy's chest.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

"My stomach is bothering me" Gabriella mumbled.

"Is he kicking too hard?" Troy asked.

"I don't know" Gabriella said.

"Does it feel like a contraction?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head. Troy kissed Gabriella's head. He knew that Gabriella was probably still upset about what happened at Dr. Fields office.

"Baby, do you want to talk about what happened?" Troy asked.

"I just don't know what to think. First, he is going to late then he's going to be early. I'm not ready" Gabriella said.

"Why aren't you ready?" Troy asked.

"I'm not ready for this yet" Gabriella said.

"Brie, listen to me. You are more than ready for this okay? Whether he comes early or late, we are ready. I know that you are nervous and that's normal, baby. What Dr. Fields said may or may not happen. It all depends on him. So let's just wait it out and see" Troy said.

Gabriella put her hand on her bump.

"We are ready" Troy said softly.

Gabriella nodded. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"Come on. Let's get you back to bed" Troy said.

Troy stood up and offered Gabriella his hands. Gabriella took them and Troy helped her to a standing a position. Troy kissed Gabriella's lips.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"Don't worry okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple went into the bedroom and got into bed.

"Wake me up if you don't feel good, Brie" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

A couple weeks later, Gabriella was eight months pregnant. She came home from work and smiled when she saw Troy reading a pregnancy book.

"You better not be reading about development" Gabriella said.

Troy looked up and put the book down.

"Actually, I was reading about labor and delivery" Troy said.

"What about it?" Gabriella asked.

"Are you going to get mad at me for it?" Troy asked.

"No" Gabriella said.

Troy raised his eyebrow.

"I won't. I promise" Gabriella said.

"I was just reading about the process and if this book gave an estimate of how long a first-time mother would be in labor for" Troy said.

"Why? Do you have a prior engagement?" Gabriella asked.

Troy looked at Gabriella and his eyes widened.

"No. I just would like to know" Troy said.

"Well, it will probably be a long time since it's our first, right?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Tired and he's beating me up" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Go take your shoes off and change" Troy said.

Gabriella leaned in and kissed Troy's lips softly. Troy kissed Gabriella back and pulled away slowly. Gabriella went into the bedroom and took her shoes off and changed into more comfortable clothing.

"When do you go on maternity leave again?" Troy asked.

"Two weeks" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I'll be slowing down by then. The chief already cleared it" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"What are we going to do with all that time off?" Gabriella asked.

Troy smiled.

"Well, you are going to have our son. Then we both have to take care of him and get him on a schedule" Troy said.

"I wonder what will happen to the paper while I'm gone" Gabriella said.

"You put two of your senior editors in charge right?" Troy said.

"Yeah, but it won't be like if I signed off on it" Gabriella said.

"You will live, Brie. It's only two months" Troy said.

Gabriella put her hand on top of her bump and looked down. Troy instantly felt bad for his tone.

"I didn't mean it like that, baby" Troy said softly.

"I was frustrated with you about potentially missing the birth of our son. I think you have some well-deserved comments that you could make" Gabriella said.

"That was a different thing, Brie. This was uncalled for. You had every right to be frustrated with me. I'm sorry" Troy said.

"It's okay" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's forehead softly.

"I'm sorry baby" Troy repeated.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"The good thing is that his room is done. We don't have to worry about that. Hospital bag is done. Now, all we need is a baby" Gabriella said changing the subject.

Troy smiled and nodded. That night, Troy was on his laptop looking at his schedule.

"Oh no" Troy said.

"What?" Gabriella said.

"So, before I cleared my leave, I had scheduled a surgery that would be during the time that I would be home" Troy said.

"It's okay, Troy. It's one surgery. Do it" Gabriella said.

"Are you sure? You will be nine months pregnant, Brie" Troy said.

"It will be your last before you are a daddy" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Are you absolutely sure, Gabriella? I can try and get someone else to do it" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"I'm sure" Gabriella said.

"Thanks baby. I promise I will be in and out of there" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek softly.

"I forgot that I had scheduled it" Troy said.

"We'll be fine" Gabriella said.

"Anything can happen then. That's why I feel the way I do" Troy said.

"If something happens, you won't have to go very far" Gabriella joked.

Troy raised his eyebrow.

"That's not funny" Troy said.

"Don't worry" Gabriella said.

The couple fell asleep soundly. They hoped that they were ready for their son to be born.


	12. Unpredictable

Two weeks later, Gabriella came home from her last day of work before the baby came. She took a deep breath and released it.

"Brie?" Troy called.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

Troy came into the living room and smiled. He walked over to Gabriella and kissed her lips.

"Happy last day of work" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"Thanks. I had to talk to the two senior editors and make sure that they knew what to do" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"How did that go?" Troy asked.

"Fine. I also left them a hard copy of the detailed instructions" Gabriella said.

"Good. So you don't have to worry about that anymore" Troy said.

"Well, I'm going to- "Gabriella started.

"You are going to focus on our son. You said that you left instructions for your editors and you have to trust that they will follow them" Troy finished.

"I guess" Gabriella said.

"How did everything else go?" Troy asked.

"Fine. I got all my assignments that I am going to miss while I'm at home" Gabriella said.

"Good" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"How was work?" Gabriella asked.

"We had a mass casualty come in today" Troy said.

"Oh" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. Gabriella was still trying to learn the medical terminology that Troy uses in his residency.

"A lot of patients with different issues at one time" Troy said.

"I know what it is" Gabriella said.

"I didn't know if you did or not" Troy said.

The couple talked about the rest of their day and celebrated Gabriella's last day of work. The next day, Troy came home and took a deep breath and released it.

"Troy?" Gabriella called.

Troy walked into the kitchen where he had heard Gabriella. Gabriella looked at Troy and was instantly concerned. Troy's eyes were bloodshot red, his face was flushed, and he had tears running down his face.

"Hey, what happened?" Gabriella asked putting down what she was holding and walking over to Troy.

Troy took a deep breath and sniffled. Gabriella took Troy's bag out of his hands and put it on the floor.

"Troy, talk to me" Gabriella said.

"There was a big accident and I had a pregnant woman come in that was showing signs of shock and her blood pressure kept dropping and then spiking. ER staff got her to an OR and called me in along with the chief" Troy said shakily.

Gabriella nodded for Troy to continue.

"We started treating her and exploring to see if there was anything else going on. As we did that she…she…she had a stroke and she and the baby died" Troy said.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy and rubbed his back soothingly. Troy put his hand on the small of Gabriella's back and kissed her shoulder, neck, and cheek several times.

"Troy, you did everything you could" Gabriella said softly.

"If it had been you- "Troy started.

"I know. But it wasn't. Things happen and sometimes you can't control them" Gabriella said moving a piece of hair out of Troy's face.

Troy placed his hand on Gabriella's stomach and kneeled down. He kissed Gabriella's bellybutton and then the left and right side of her bump.

"I love you buddy" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. Troy stood up and leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"It just scared me" Troy said.

"I know" Gabriella said.

That night, Gabriella woke up and looked at the clock, which read two-thirty AM. She took a deep breath and was then met with a pain in her stomach. Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. When she realized that the pain didn't go away, Gabriella patted Troy's shoulder. Troy turned over and opened his eyes slowly.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked.

"I had a contraction" Gabriella said.

"Is it over?" Troy asked.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it and nodded. Troy sat up and turned the bedside lamp on.

"It felt the same but different" Gabriella said.

"They are going to start to feel more real because you are getting closer. Is that the only one that you had?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Okay. Everything's alright, baby. Go back to sleep" Troy said.

Troy turned off the light and lied back down. Gabriella snuggled into Troy's chest as close as her expanding bump would let her.

"It just scares me every time" Gabriella said softly.

"I know. But it's only him getting ready to come out" Troy said.

"Not yet" Gabriella said.

"Not yet. But soon. Your body is just getting ready for him to come out" Troy said rephrasing what he said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"Just breathe and relax" Troy said softly.

Gabriella took another deep breath and released it.

"Good sweetheart. Try and go back to sleep okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly and rubbed her back in small, soothing circles. A couple days later, Troy came home and smiled when he saw Gabriella lying on the couch watching television.

"Hi baby" Troy said.

"Hi" Gabriella said.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Fine. Mom called looking for you" Gabriella said.

"My mom?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Okay. I was thinking of going over there if you are feeling alright" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled and nodded.

"I want to go" Gabriella said.

"Okay. Let me just take a shower and get the hospital smell off me" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Troy walked over to the couch and leaned over and kissed Gabriella's lips. He placed his hand on Gabriella's bump. Gabriella pulled away slowly.

"He always starts kicking hard when you do that" Gabriella said.

"Maybe he knows that it's me" Troy said.

Gabriella shrugged.

"Can I see?" Troy asked referring to her bump.

Gabriella nodded. She pulled her shirt up and her leggings down a little bit. Troy smiled. He leaned down and kissed Gabriella's stomach gently.

"Hi buddy. Daddy's here" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"We have to start figuring out a name" Troy said.

"I know. Now that I'm home, I have more time to think about it" Gabriella said.

"Yeah" Troy said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's stomach one last time and chuckled.

"He kicked my nose" Troy said.

Gabriella giggled.

"Alright. Let me go take a shower and we will go" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Troy walked into the bathroom and took a shower. An hour later, the couple were driving to the Bolton home. Gabriella placed her hand on her expanding bump and took a sharp deep breath in that didn't go unnoticed by Troy.

"Brie, you okay?" Troy asked.

"I don't know if that was a hard kick or a contraction" Gabriella said.

"Well since it ended so quickly, maybe it was a kick" Troy said.

"Probably" Gabriella said.

"Do you feel any pain?" Troy asked.

"No. He just kicks nonstop so I have no idea" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. He placed his free hand on Gabriella's bump and smiled when he didn't feel tension.

"I'm thinking it was a kick" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy pulled into his parent's driveway and parked the car. He got out of the car and went to Gabriella's side and helped her get out of the car. Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"I love you" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

The couple walked to the front door. Troy pressed the doorbell and waited for someone to answer the door. A couple moments later, Lucille opened the door.

"Hi guys. Gabi, you look beautiful. How are you feeling?" Lucille asked as the couple walked in.

"A little tired and achy but okay otherwise" Gabriella said.

"Are you getting excited?" Lucille asked.

Gabriella smiled and nodded. She looked at Troy, who smiled at her.

"A little nervous too" Gabriella said honestly.

"Knowing Troy, he will make sure everything goes smoothly" Lucille said.

Troy smiled and entwined his fingers with Gabriella's and gave them a supportive squeeze. The couple and Lucille walked into the living room and sat down.

"Have you figured out a name?" Lucille asked.

"Not yet. We've been so busy that we haven't thought about any. But now that I'm on maternity leave, we can spend some time trying to figure that out" Gabriella said.

Lucille nodded.

"What has the doctor said?" Lucille asked.

"Mom" Troy started.

Lucille looked at Troy. Gabriella smiled slightly.

"It's okay, Troy. I've been having some contractions. They started in Hawaii and have been on and off. I have been trying to keep stress to a minimum. Troy changed his hours around so that he would be home more. Dr. Fields said that they are normal at this stage, but we have to monitor them" Gabriella explained to her mother-in-law.

"Oh honey. We really haven't talked since then?" Lucille asked.

Gabriella smiled.

"I have been just kind of out of it. I'm not speaking to my mom even" Gabriella said.

Troy cleared his throat a little uncomfortably. Lucille looked at Troy.

"Why?" Lucille asked.

"She did her whole move to Florida and hasn't been around. She will call randomly and it will make my stress level skyrocket. I just needed some peace" Gabriella said.

Lucille nodded understanding Gabriella's point.

"Well, you are so close to your baby. Hopefully that will bring her back here" Lucille said.

Gabriella shrugged.

"We will see" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"If she wants to come, she will baby" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple and Lucille talked for a little while longer. An hour later, Troy closed the passenger seat door and walked to the driver's side and got in. He looked at Gabriella and smiled.

"She didn't need to bring all of that up" Troy said as he started driving.

"She was just asking Troy. It's not her fault" Gabriella said.

"But it's our business. Our private business that my mom should not have a say in" Troy said.

"Well, she asked and we have to get over it" Gabriella said.

"To bring up what Dr. Fields has said about your pregnancy is one thing. I could have been fine with telling her just that. But then, she asks about your mom" Troy said.

"It's normal, Troy" Gabriella said.

"I don't think it was appropriate. Especially when you are close to your due date" Troy said.

Gabriella shrugged. Troy drove home. That night, Gabriella felt a familiar pain and rolled her eyes. She walked into the kitchen where Troy was sitting with his laptop.

"Contraction" Gabriella said.

Troy looked up and sighed.

"You alright?" Troy asked softly.

Gabriella nodded.

"Come here sweetheart" Troy said holding out his arm.

Gabriella walked over to Troy. Troy placed his hand on Gabriella's back.

"I'm sorry for overreacting" Troy said.

"It's not your fault. It's just a sensitive thing" Gabriella said.

"I know. You've been so strong" Troy said.

"I just can't let it consume me. I like that she asked because she took the time to think about me. My mom doesn't" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I wish I could make this go away for you" Troy said.

"We just have to live with it. If she's not thinking about me, I won't think about her" Gabriella said.

"How's the little man doing?" Troy asked changing the subject.

Gabriella smiled.

"Doing backflips" Gabriella said.

Troy chuckled. He placed his hand on Gabriella's bump and smiled.

"Hi buddy" Troy said.

A couple weeks later, Gabriella was eight and half months pregnant. She was always tired and liked to call Troy on so that she would have some company. Gabriella dialed Troy's number and waited for him to answer.

"Hi baby girl. How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Crampy" Gabriella said.

"No contractions?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head but then realized Troy wasn't in the room.

"No" Gabriella said.

"Good. Is he still kicking hard like usual?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. I'm tired of being pregnant" Gabriella said.

"I know you are baby. Just a couple more weeks" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"Did you take a nap today?" Troy asked.

"No. Every time I try to lay down he has to push on something and I can't get comfortable" Gabriella said.

"I'm sorry. I promise that I will be home soon to help" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

"Hey baby, I have to get going. I'll be home as soon as I can. Page me if you need me" Troy said.

"Alright. I love you" Gabriella said.

"I love you too Brie" Troy said.

A couple hours later, Troy came home to a dark house. He walked into the bedroom and smiled when he saw Gabriella under the covers. Troy walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. He smoothed Gabriella's hair back and heard her moan. Her eyes opened slowly.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Crampy" Gabriella mumbled.

"What can I do?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Nothing" Gabriella mumbled.

"Do I need to take you in-" Troy started.

"No" Gabriella said quickly.

"Baby, if you aren't feeling well, you need to tell me exactly how you feel" Troy said.

"I am telling you how I feel. I'm uncomfortable. I have cramps everywhere. I'm tired and I just want to sleep peacefully" Gabriella said with her voice cracking.

"Do I need to take you in? Just to be safe" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded feeling defeated. Troy smiled sympathetically.

"Alright sweetheart. Let me call and let Dr. Fields know we are coming in" Troy said.

Troy helped Gabriella get out of bed and put her shoes on. He called Dr. Fields and the couple left the house. The couple arrived at the hospital and Gabriella was wheeled up to the OB floor. Residents smiled at the couple as they were escorted to a hospital room. Once Gabriella was settled and hooked up to fetal monitors and her vitals were taken, Troy placed his hand on her eight-month bump.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"The same" Gabriella said.

"There could be nothing wrong, Brie. But just to be safe I thought you should get checked out. I'm not trying to- "Troy started but was then interrupted.

"Troy, you are rambling and it's making me nervous. Can you please stop?" Gabriella asked politely.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"I'm sorry" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed and leaned back against the pillows. There was a knock at the door and Dr. Fields poked her head in.

"Hi guys. What's going on?" Dr. Fields asked as she walked into the room.

"I feel uncomfortable and crampy" Gabriella said.

"Let me do an exam okay?" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded. Dr. Fields did an ultrasound and an exam.

"You are eight and a half months, right?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"What is it, Fields?" Troy asked.

"Your body is just starting to get ready for him to come out. Just like the contractions that you had" Dr. Fields explained.

"So I have to feel contractions and this too?" Gabriella asked.

"Gabi, I know you are uncomfortable and I know that you just want to have a healthy baby in your arms. But this is how it goes. Think of it as getting to see your baby soon" Dr. Fields said.

"I want to go home" Gabriella said.

"I will get the discharge papers ready" Dr. Fields said.

"Dr. Fields, can I have a word?" Troy asked.

Dr. Fields stepped out of the hospital room and Troy followed.

"Troy, this is how the end of a pregnancy goes. There isn't anything I can do" Dr. Fields said.

"She's scared, okay? She's never been through this before" Troy said.

"I hear you, Troy. I do. Cramps and contractions are normal at this stage. I know that you are worried about it too" Dr. Fields said.

"I just want everything to go smoothly" Troy said.

"I know you do and you are doing a great job with handling everything. But nature is taking its course right now and there isn't much we can do" Dr. Fields said.

Troy nodded.

"I'll start the discharge papers and get her out of here as soon as possible" Dr. Fields said.

"Thanks" Troy said.

Troy and Dr. Fields went their separate ways. Troy walked into the hospital room and smiled sympathetically at Gabriella.

"What's going on?" Gabriella asked.

"Nothing baby. We are going to get you out of here soon" Troy said.

"What were you and Dr. Fields talking about?" Gabriella asked.

"Nothing sweetheart" Troy said.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

"Brie, everything is fine. I promise. We were just talking" Troy said.

"I heard something about nature taking its course. What was she saying about that?" Gabriella asked.

"She was saying that the contractions and the cramps were part of the pregnancy and we have to let nature take its course" Troy said.

"What does that mean?" Gabriella asked placing both her hands on her bump.

"It means that the contractions and cramps are normal at this stage of your pregnancy. We can't stop them from happening" Troy explained.

"So basically, if I go into labor, it's fine?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah. But we want to get you to full-term. If he comes early though, it wouldn't be a problem" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"He's going to come early then?" Gabriella asked.

"We don't know baby. He could or he could make it to your due date" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. Troy sat on the edge of the hospital bed.

"You are so brave" Troy said smoothing Gabriella's hair back.

Gabriella moved her hand and smiled.

"Hi baby" Gabriella said looking at her expanding bump.

Troy smiled. He kissed her forehead softly.

"Let me go see if Dr. Fields has the discharge papers ready and we will go home okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy walked out of the room. Three hours later, Troy opened the front door of the apartment and a very tired Gabriella walked into the house with him following.

"Why don't you go take a shower and get into your pajamas and get into bed?" Troy suggested.

Gabriella nodded tiredly. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips softly. Gabriella walked into the bedroom and got her clothes together for her shower. Troy sat down on the couch and sighed. Their unborn son was following his trend at being unpredictable.


	13. When A Nightmare Comes True

A couple days later, Gabriella was laying on the couch watching television. She hadn't said much since she got out of the hospital. Troy was trying to make her feel as comfortable as he could get her. Gabriella loved him with all her heart. She knew that she shouldn't bottle her feelings about the baby possibly coming early but she didn't want to worry Troy. Gabriella was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard the front door open and close.

"Brie?" Troy called.

"Living room" Gabriella said.

Troy walked into the living room and smiled.

"How was your day?" Troy asked kissing Gabriella's lips.

"Fine" Gabriella said.

"How's baby boy been doing today?" Troy asked sitting on the floor next to the couch.

"Moving and kicking all day" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Any contractions?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"My back hurts though" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Do you want the heating pad?" Troy asked.

"I can get it" Gabriella said.

"No. I'll go get it" Troy said.

Gabriella placed her hand on Troy's face.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I love you too baby. Are you feeling alright?" Troy asked.

"Just my back" Gabriella said.

"No cramps?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head. Troy smiled.

"Good" Troy said.

That night, Gabriella tossed and turned. She opened her eyes and sighed. Gabriella sat up.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked sleepily.

"Uncomfortable" Gabriella said.

"Do you need me to move over a little bit?" Troy asked.

"I'm going to go walk around" Gabriella said.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Troy asked.

"No. It's okay" Gabriella said.

"Yell if you need me" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded and got up and walked around the apartment. A couple weeks later was Troy's last surgery before the baby came. Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly. Gabriella opened her eyes.

"I'm going to go to the hospital. Call me if you need me okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

Gabriella kissed Troy's lips.

"Go back to sleep baby" Troy said pulling the covers up.

A couple hours later, Troy was in the OR. He was working with other residents from different specialties and their attending surgeons. Troy was honored to be a part of this surgery. A nurse came into the OR in scrubs and a mask.

"Dr. Bolton, Dr. Fields has been paging you" the nurse said.

"Can you call her on the speaker?" Troy asked.

"Yes" the nurse said.

Troy continued to work while the nurse dialed Dr. Fields extension.

"Troy?" Dr. Fields answered.

"Hi Dr. Fields, what's going on?" Troy asked.

"Are you in surgery?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Yes" Troy said.

"Well then, I will try to make this easy for you. Gabriella is in labor. She came in about an hour ago. I don't want you to panic. Right now, everything looks fine. She's only three centimeters" Dr. Fields explained.

Troy cursed himself.

"Troy, do not panic. Finish your surgery. If anything changes, I will let you know" Dr. Fields said.

"Tell her that I love her" Troy said.

"I will. See you soon" Dr. Fields said.

The call ended. Troy cursed under his breath.

"Troy, focus" Ashley said.

Troy took a deep breath and released it.

"Can you do me a huge favor?" Troy asked.

"What do you need?" Ashley asked.

"Can you find out what room Gabriella is in and call it and put it on speaker?" Troy asked.

Ashley nodded.

"If you aren't busy" Troy said.

"I was just about to scrub out. I'll get that info for you, Troy. Hang in there" Ashley said.

Thirty minutes later, Troy was still in surgery. Ashley gave the nurse Gabriella's room number and dialed it for Troy.

"Hello?" Nicole answered.

"Nicole, put Gabriella on please" Troy said.

"Troy, where are you?" Nicole asked.

"In surgery" Troy said.

"Hold on" Nicole said.

"Troy, where are you?" Gabriella asked painfully.

"Baby, listen to me okay? I'm in the middle of surgery" Troy started.

"No" Gabriella cried.

"Brie, you need to focus sweetheart. Dr. Fields called me and told me that you are at three centimeters. I'm going to try and get up there as soon as I can okay?" Troy said.

"Please hurry. I can't do this without you" Gabriella said painfully.

"I will baby girl. I promise. Keep breathing, Brie" Troy said.

The couple ended the call. Troy took a deep breath and released it.

"Scalpel" Troy said.

The surgery continued. An hour and a half later, Troy scrubbed out and nearly sprinted to the obstetrics floor. Nicole smiled when she saw Troy.

"Catch your breath baby daddy" Nicole said.

"Where is she? How is she?" Troy asked breathlessly.

"Troy" Nicole said.

Troy took a deep breath and released it.

"Good. She's still at three last time she was checked and that was around when you called" Nicole said.

Troy nodded.

"How is she?" Troy asked.

"She was worried about you not making it in time. She's also in a lot of pain. The last time Fields came in was when you were called" Nicole said.

Troy nodded.

"Thank you Nicole. For taking care of her" Troy said.

Nicole smiled.

"She's not an ordinary patient" Nicole said giving Troy a wink as she stated Troy's words from a couple months ago.

"Room number?" Troy asked.

"1552" Nicole said.

"Thank you" Troy said.

Troy walked down the hall and got to Gabriella's hospital room and could hear her moaning in pain from outside the door. He opened the door and shut it behind him. Troy walked over to the bed and pulled a chair over to it. He then leaned down and kissed Gabriella's sweaty forehead.

"Breathe through it baby. Don't hold your breath" Troy said taking her hand in his own.

"You…made…it" Gabriella said breathlessly.

"I told you that I would. Now finish your contraction before we talk" Troy said.

Gabriella continued to breathe through the contraction. After it ended, she relaxed and released her grip on Troy's hand.

"How far apart are they?" Troy asked.

"Seven minutes" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I guess my nightmare somewhat came true" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Nobody could have predicted that. How did you get here?" Troy asked.

"I drove" Gabriella said.

"Brie" Troy said.

"You were in surgery. My mom is irrelevant. Your parents were at work. What did you want me to do?" Gabriella asked.

"We will talk about this later" Troy said.

"How was your surgery?" Gabriella asked as she turned onto her side.

"Intense, but it went well. Everything went as planned" Troy said.

"Good" Gabriella said.

Troy smoothed Gabriella's sweaty hair back.

"Do you need anything?" Troy asked.

"Just you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Do you want me to call your mom and let her know things are happening?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"She will want to come down here and I don't want her to. I just want you here" Gabriella said.

"Alright baby" Troy said.

Two hours passed and labor got more intense. Gabriella was four and a half centimeters dilated.

"Troy" Gabriella cried as she felt a contraction.

"I'm here baby. Take nice, deep breaths" Troy said.

There was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came into the room. She placed her hand on Troy's shoulder.

"You made it" Dr. Fields said.

Troy smiled slightly and turned back to Gabriella. Gabriella increased her grip on Troy's hand.

"Breathe baby. You have to breathe" Troy said softly.

Once the contraction passed, Gabriella saw that Dr. Fields had come in.

"How are you feeling?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Pain everywhere" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields nodded.

"Do you want an epidural?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy, who looked at Gabriella.

"It's up to you" Troy said.

Gabriella shook her head.

"No epidural? Are you sure, Brie?" Troy asked.

"Don't question it" Gabriella said.

"I'm not. I'm just surprised" Troy said.

"Well, we didn't have time to discuss it" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Can I check you?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella spread her legs apart as Dr. Fields lifted the bedsheet that was covering them. Dr. Fields examined Gabriella and looked up.

"You are still at a four" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded. Dr. Fields put the bedsheet back in its original place.

"Can I get you guys anything?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Can you let Rodriguez know I made it? She will probably be asking people if they had heard anything" Troy said.

"I can do that. I'll be back in to check you in a little while okay? Try the best you can to relax" Dr. Fields said.

Dr. Fields left the hospital room.

"Who is Rodriguez?" Gabriella asked.

"That's the chief resident. The one that saw us fighting when I didn't make it to your appointment" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded and then groaned. Troy kissed Gabriella's forehead softly.

"You are doing so well, baby. I'm so proud of you" Troy said.

Hours passed and Troy was watching television when there was a knock on the door. Ashley poked her head in and smiled. Troy looked up and smiled. Gabriella was sleeping peacefully. She had decided to get the epidural after an argument with Troy. Troy got up from his seat and kissed Gabriella's head softly.

"I'm going to step out for a minute. I will be right outside the door" Troy said into Gabriella's ear.

Gabriella moaned in her sleep. Troy took that as she understood what he was saying. He walked out of the hospital room and closed the door gently.

"How is she doing?" Ashley asked.

"She's five and a half" Troy said.

Ashley nodded.

"Did she get her epidural?" Ashley asked.

Troy nodded.

"After kicking and screaming" Troy said.

"She tried, Troy. That's all" Ashley said.

"Has anyone come in for me?" Troy asked.

Ashley crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow.

"I did not just hear you ask that while your wife is in labor Bolton" Ashley said.

"It was just a question" Troy said.

"Pay attention to Gabriella. She needs your full attention right now" Ashley said.

Troy nodded.

"Did her water break?" Ashley asked.

"Not yet. Fields explained to Gabriella about that whole thing. We are just waiting it out" Troy said.

Ashley nodded.

"You scared?" Ashley asked.

"Haven't stopped shaking since I was in the OR and heard that she was in labor. He's early" Troy said.

"Just relax. Everything is going to be fine" Ashley said.

"I just haven't been-" Troy started.

"In the patient situation in a while. I get that. You are doing well so far, Troy. Now go back in there" Ashley said.

Troy smiled and nodded.

"Thanks" Troy said.

Troy walked back into the hospital room and smiled when he saw Gabriella's eyes open slowly.

"Hi sweetheart, did you have a good nap?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Feeling better?" Troy asked sitting down in his previous place.

"Yeah" Gabriella said quietly.

"I didn't want you to be in pain Brie. That's all" Troy said.

"I just wanted to do it once" Gabriella said.

"I know. But things change. Your plan isn't always ideal for the situation" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"Do you feel any pain?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Just pressure" Gabriella said.

"Alright. Dr. Fields should be coming in soon" Troy said.

An hour later there was a knock on the door. Dr. Fields came in and smiled.

"How's it going in here?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Tired" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields smiled.

"Sleep as much as you can to keep your strength up. Can I check you?" Dr. Fields asked.

Dr. Fields washed her hands and put latex gloves on and helped Gabriella separate her legs because she was numb from the epidural. She then sat at the foot of the bed and examined Gabriella.

"You are at six and a half" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Almost there" Troy said.

"You are doing really well, Gabi" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella smiled slightly. Dr. Fields left the room. Troy looked at Gabriella and placed his hand on her forehead and smoothed her hair back.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He leaned over and kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"I love you too baby. You are doing so good" Troy said.

"I just wish that I could have done my original plan" Gabriella said.

"I know. But this was the best thing for you and him. If it wasn't, it would have not been suggested" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. A couple hours later, Gabriella was lying on her side. Troy was lying in the rollaway bed that the hospital had set up for him. They were supposed to be sleeping. But Gabriella was trying to figure out how close she was to giving birth.

"Troy?" Gabriella called softly.

Troy opened his eyes and stretched.

"Are you feeling okay?" Troy asked.

"I'm feeling pressure but I don't know what kind and I don't know how close" Gabriella started.

Troy got up and walked over to the chair that was still next to the bed.

"Brie, breathe" Troy said.

Gabriella took a shaky breath. Troy nodded and locked his eyes with hers. He took her hand in his own.

"Take another one baby" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. Troy felt Gabriella start to relax.

"Are you okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"I will page Dr. Fields and have her check you" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Dr. Fields came in a couple minutes later and checked Gabriella.

"You are about a nine and a half. If you start to feel like you have to push page me okay?" Dr. Fields said.

The couple nodded. Dr. Fields left the room. Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled and looked at Gabriella.

"I'm scared" Gabriella said quietly.

"Everything is going to be fine. Dr. Fields is here and I'm here. We are going to make sure that everything goes smoothly….not that I'm trying to overstep my boundaries" Troy started.

"If something goes wrong, please overstep" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly.

"Nothing is going to go wrong" Troy said.

"But if something does" Gabriella said,

Troy nodded. A half an hour later, Gabriella moaned.

"Brie, how do you feel baby?" Troy asked.

"A lot of pressure" Gabriella said.

"Should I call Fields in?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Okay. Just breathe" Troy said.

Troy pressed the call button. A couple minutes later, Dr. Fields came in and smiled.

"Let me check you" Dr. Fields said after washing her hands and putting gloves on.

Gabriella leaned her head back as Dr. Fields did her exam.

"Gabi, you ready to meet your son?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella nodded. Troy smiled.

"I'm going to go get some of my nurses. When I get back we will start okay?" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded again. Dr. Fields left the room.

"Troy" Gabriella cried.

"I'm here baby. I'm right here" Troy said.

"I'm scared" Gabriella said.

"You will do great. Everyone that is going to come in is here to support you, Brie" Troy said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly, but passionately.

"I love you and I am so proud of you" Troy said.

Gabriella took a shaky breath.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.


	14. Babies Resolve Problems

A couple minutes later, Gabriella's face turned to pained. Troy smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead softly.

"Just breathe baby. Everything's okay" Troy said.

"I am starting to feel everything" Gabriella said softly.

"I know. Try to rest for right now okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. A couple of nurses walked into the room and started getting the room ready for the baby. A nurse that had been checking on Gabriella came over to the bed and sat at the edge.

"Gabriella, do you feel like you need to push?" the nurse asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said shakily.

Troy took Gabriella's hand in his own and kissed it gently. The nurse positioned Gabriella and instructed her to push. Ten minutes later, Gabriella cried in pain.

"It's okay baby. Breathe" Troy said trying to comfort her.

"You are doing so well, Gabriella. Let's try one more and I will call Dr. Fields in" the nurse said.

Troy was on one side of Gabriella and another nurse was on the other. Gabriella pushed again as Troy counted.

"Good job baby" Troy said.

Troy could feel Gabriella's hands shaking on the bed. He picked one up and held it in his warm hand and felt Gabriella start to relax.

"Good work, Gabriella. I am going to call Dr. Fields in" the nurse said.

The nurse walked out of the room.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

"It's just scary" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"You are doing really well baby" Troy said.

A couple minutes later, the nurse came back with Dr. Fields, who smiled at the couple.

"Gabi, you ready?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella's eyes filled with tears and nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's forehead softly and squeezed her hand supportively. She looked at Troy.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"Now, let's have a baby" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly and nodded. Dr. Fields sat in her place and Gabriella pushed until she was told to stop fifteen minutes later.

"Troy" Gabriella cried squeezing his hand.

"Breathe baby girl. Nice, deep breaths. She's almost done" Troy said smoothing Gabriella's sweaty hair back.

Dr. Fields looked at Gabriella and smiled.

"Gabi, give me your hand" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella held her free hand that was shaking out to Dr. Fields. Dr. Fields took Gabriella's hand and Gabriella gasped.

"That's your baby's head. A couple more pushes and he will be out okay? You are doing great" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella looked at Troy, who smiled at her.

"You can do this, Brie" Troy said.

"I'm tired" Gabriella whined.

"I know. But you are almost done. Just a couple more pushes and he will be out" Troy said.

Gabriella squeezed her eyes shut.

"Push Brie" Troy said.

Gabriella pushed and cried out in pain.

"Troy" Gabriella cried.

"I'm right here baby. I'm here" Troy said kissing Gabriella's sweaty forehead.

"One more big push, Gabi" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and pushed as hard as she could. Screaming out as she felt the baby slip out. Dr. Fields placed the baby onto Gabriella's chest.

"Oh my god" Gabriella said breathlessly.

Troy smiled.

"You did it, Gabriella" Troy said.

Gabriella started to cry. Troy leaned down and kissed Gabriella's lips softly and pulled away slowly.

"I'm so proud of you" Troy said.

Gabriella continued to cry. She looked down and ran her finger gently against their son's cheek.

"Do you have a name for him?" Dr. Fields asked.

Troy looked at Gabriella, who looked at Troy and smiled.

"Patrick Troy Bolton" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. Patrick was Gabriella's father's name. Troy leaned down and kissed his son's head.

"Welcome to the world, Patrick" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. Patrick was taken by a couple of nurses so that he could be assessed by a pediatrician. Dr. Fields cleaned Gabriella up. An hour later, Gabriella had showered and was in a recovery room. Troy hadn't left Gabriella's side. He had helped her get out of bed and into the shower. Troy then had helped her sit down in the wheelchair when she was going to the recovery room. He placed his hand on top of Gabriella's.

"When will they bring him in?" Gabriella asked.

"They have to have him get assessed by a pediatrician. After that, they will give him a bath and change him and bring him up here" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Tired" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Rest baby. Let me handle Patrick and where he's at right now" Troy said.

"If something is wrong, wake me up" Gabriella said.

"Don't worry" Troy said.

"Troy?" Gabriella called.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I love you too. Get some rest" Troy said.

A couple hours later, Gabriella woke up and smiled when she saw Troy holding Patrick in the chair that was next to the hospital bed. Troy looked up and smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Sore, but I'm fine" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Do you want to hold him?" Troy asked.

Gabriella's eyes lit up and nodded. Troy stood up carefully and walked to the bed and placed Patrick into Gabriella's arms. Gabriella looked down and smiled.

"Hi Patrick" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"The nurse came in and said that the lactation consultant should be coming in a little while. I didn't know you wanted to breastfeed" Troy said.

"I want to try it. If it doesn't work out, I could just pump and bottle feed him" Gabriella said.

"You have done your research" Troy said.

"Of course" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Did he sleep?" Gabriella asked.

"A little bit. He was in and out of it for a while but then he knocked out" Troy said.

Troy looked at Gabriella and couldn't stop smiling. The way she looked at their son made him fall in love with her all over again.

"So I was waiting until you woke up to discuss this with you" Troy started.

Gabriella looked up at Troy.

"What is it?" Gabriella asked.

"Do you think we should call your mom and tell her?" Troy asked carefully.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"It's completely up to you. I just thought that that maybe we should" Troy said.

"I don't think it would be right if we didn't" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Do you want to call her or do you want me to?" Troy asked.

"I will. But, can I do it alone?" Gabriella asked politely.

Troy smiled and nodded.

"Sure sweetheart" Troy said.

"It's not-" Gabriella started.

"I get it. You don't have to explain. I'm going to go get a cup of coffee and make sure my interns are taking good care of my patients and I will be back" Troy said.

"Okay. Thank you, baby" Gabriella said.

Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"If you need me to come back, page me" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy left the room and Gabriella picked up her phone and dialed her mother's number. An hour later, Troy was walking down the labor and delivery floor. Gabriella had paged him to come back to the hospital room. Once he got to the room, Troy saw that Gabriella was curled up as close as she could get herself and facing the window of the room. He knew that position all too well. Troy walked over to the bed and sat on the edge.

"She had a lot of meetings today" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"She didn't ask about his name or if everything went smoothly" Gabriella said.

"Brie, don't let it ruin today. Don't let her do that to you" Troy said.

Silent tears ran down Gabriella's face. That night, Gabriella was feeding Patrick when there was a knock on the door. Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Open the door a little bit and stick your head out" Gabriella said trying to not expose herself to whoever was at the door.

"Okay" Troy said.

Troy walked over to the door and poked his head out. Gabriella tried to hear the conversation but couldn't make much of what was being said. Troy closed the door and looked at Gabriella.

"Who was it?" Gabriella asked.

"You have a visitor" Troy said.

"Who is it?" Gabriella asked.

"I told the person that you were feeding and to come back in a little bit" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Ten minutes later, Gabriella looked down and smiled.

"He's done. Can you hold him while I go get cleaned up?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded. Gabriella carefully placed Patrick into Troy's arms and got out of bed. She walked to the bathroom and cleaned herself up and got back into bed.

"Feel better?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. Troy placed Patrick back into Gabriella's arms.

"Who is at the door?" Gabriella asked.

"Hold on. Let me go check" Troy said.

Troy left the hospital room. A couple minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in" Gabriella said.

Troy poked his head in. Gabriella looked at Troy confused. Troy opened the door and walked in. He walked into the room and Gabriella saw a figure behind him that shook her to her core.

"Mom" Gabriella said breathlessly.

Maria smiled.

"Hi Gabi" Maria said.

"But what about- "Gabriella started.

"I was getting on a plane. I cancelled my meetings" Maria said.

Tears filled Gabriella's eyes. Maria walked over to the hospital bed and kissed Gabriella's cheek.

"How are you feeling?" Maria asked.

Gabriella sighed and sobbed. Maria wrapped her arms around Gabriella and let her cry into her chest. Troy stood back and smiled. Ten minutes later, Gabriella pulled away.

"I needed you here" Gabriella said softly.

"I know and I'm sorry that I wasn't" Maria said.

Gabriella sniffled.

"Baby, I'm going to let you guys talk. I'll have my pager on me" Troy said.

"Troy, please stay" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella smiled slightly. Maria looked at Troy.

"Stay Troy. Please" Maria said.

Troy nodded.

"Do I get to know his name?" Maria asked.

Gabriella smiled.

"Patrick Troy Bolton" Gabriella said.

Maria smiled.

"Your dad would have been so happy" Maria said.

Gabriella's eyes filled with tears. Troy saw this and took Gabriella's hand in his own. Gabriella looked up and smiled at Troy.

"Is he healthy?" Maria asked changing the subject.

"Perfectly. Troy was in surgery when I went into labor" Gabriella said.

Maria looked at Troy. Troy smiled slightly.

"How did you get out of that?" Maria asked.

"I didn't. The doctors put her on speaker phone and I talked to her while the surgery was going and I was working" Troy said.

Maria smiled.

"After I was no longer needed, I raced up here" Troy continued.

"Sounds like you had a hectic day" Maria said.

Troy shrugged.

"It all turned out okay" Troy said.

An hour later, Maria wanted to leave. Troy walked her out to the hallway.

"Troy?" Maria called.

Troy looked at his mother-in-law.

"I don't want to argue with you or fight with you anymore" Maria said.

"I was only fighting with you Maria because I wanted to protect Gabriella. Every time you both would talk, you would fight. She would get so hurt by the things you would say that I couldn't take it anymore. I want my son to know you" Troy said.

Maria's eyes filled with tears and nodded.

"I don't want to fight with you anymore. Especially now that we have Patrick" Troy said.

Maria nodded. Troy walked closer to Maria and hugged his mother-in-law.

"Congratulations, grandma" Troy said.

Maria smiled.

"He looks just like you and I know that you will raise him to be the loving and caring man that you are. I'm going to get going" Maria said.

Troy nodded.

"Congratulations, Troy" Maria said.

Troy smiled.

"Thank you" Troy said.

Troy walked back into the hospital room. Gabriella looked at Troy and smiled.

"You were out for a while" Gabriella said.

"Talking to your mom" Troy said.

"About what?" Gabriella asked.

"We both agreed that we don't want to fight anymore" Troy said.

"Who brought that up?" Gabriella asked.

"She did. She said that and I said that I didn't want to either especially now that we have Patrick" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"It's a start, Brie" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. That night, Gabriella was feeding Patrick when there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Gabriella called.

"Me" Troy said.

"Come in" Gabriella said.

Troy poked his head in and smiled sympathetically.

"Baby, if you want I can wait outside until he's done" Troy said.

Gabriella shook her head.

"It's fine. If it was someone else at the door then I would have said to come back later" Gabriella said.

"I just don't want you to feel like you are always exposed" Troy said.

"Nurses have been coming in here every hour to check me and make sure everything looks like it's healing. I am exposed and I don't even care anymore" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled slightly. He walked over to the bed and kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Tired" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Do you want me to burp him while you go change?" Troy asked seeing that Patrick had pulled away from Gabriella.

"Yes please" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said opening his arms.

Gabriella carefully placed Patrick into Troy's arms. Troy smiled and looked down at his son. Gabriella got out of bed and went to the bathroom and cleaned herself up. The next morning, Troy helped Gabriella sit down in a wheelchair. He then placed Patrick's car seat carefully on her lap.

"Alright, let's get out of here" Troy said.

Troy wheeled Gabriella to the elevator and went down to the parking garage where his car was. He first opened the back seat door and put Patrick's car seat in and buckled it so that it was secure. Troy then looked at Gabriella, who was already trying to walk to the front seat.

"Slow down. Don't rush. Dr. Fields said that you need to take it easy" Troy said.

Troy helped Gabriella get into the car. He returned the wheelchair and got into the car.

"Ready?" Troy asked

Gabriella nodded. Troy drove home. A couple hours later, Troy was sitting on the couch with Patrick lying on his chest. Gabriella walked into the living room and smiled.

"Still sleeping?" Gabriella asked softly.

Troy smiled and nodded.

"He's going to need to eat soon" Gabriella said.

"Yeah" Troy said.

"Nicole had mentioned that you are taking a couple weeks off" Gabriella said.

"Yeah" Troy said.

"You didn't tell me that" Gabriella said.

"Because I finalized it and talked to the chief about it yesterday" Troy said.

"Oh" Gabriella said.

"I don't want you to have to take care of him by yourself. At least, not yet" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"When we put him on a schedule and that is set, I will gradually go back" Troy continued.

"Thanks Troy" Gabriella said.

"He's our son, Brie. We both are responsible for him" Troy said.

"I just thought-" Gabriella started.

"We talked about it, yes. But when I held him for the first time, my plans changed" Troy said.

Gabriella kissed Troy's cheek softly. Patrick let out a cry. Troy looked down at Patrick and smiled.

"Hey, it's okay" Troy said.

Troy stood up carefully with Patrick in his arms. Gabriella smiled.

"I think that was a cry that a daddy can't help" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He carefully placed Patrick into Gabriella's arms. Gabriella picked up a burp cloth that was on the couch and placed it over her chest. She then pulled down her bra and brought Patrick up to her breast.

"Do you want-" Troy started.

"You are okay" Gabriella said.

"I'm only asking because sometimes women think of it as a private thing. Physically and emotionally. I didn't know if you wanted to be alone" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Thank you for thinking of me. Ask me in a couple weeks and you may get a different answer. But, for right now, it's okay" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I still can't believe he's here" Troy said.

"Me too" Gabriella said.

The phone rang. Troy cursed under his breath when he heard Patrick start crying. He ran over to the phone and answered it.

"Hello?" Troy answered annoyed that whoever was calling woke his newborn son.

"Troy, how's everything going?" Lucille asked.

"Fine. We just got home" Troy said.

"Everything okay?" Lucille asked.

"Well, he started crying when you called. So the phone is going to be our worst enemy" Troy said.

"How's Gabi?" Lucille asked.

"She's okay. Tired, but okay" Troy said.

"Maria called me" Lucille said.

"Did she tell you that she came to the hospital and there was a truce?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. I'm proud of you, Troy" Lucille said.

"Mom, I swear if she says one thing-" Troy started.

"I know. But let her try" Lucille said.

"Troy" Gabriella called.

Troy pulled the phone away from his face.

"I'm coming baby" Troy said.

"Troy?" Lucille called.

"Mom, I have to go" Troy said.

Lucille and Troy hung up the phone. Troy walked back into the living room.

"Take him" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella and saw that there was vomit all over chest.

"Did he throw up?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"I'm going to take a shower" Gabriella said.

"Are you okay?" Troy asked.

"Yes. I just want to take a shower" Gabriella said.

Troy carefully took Patrick out of Gabriella's arms. Gabriella walked into the bedroom and picked out a new set of clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Life with a baby was starting to become more real.


	15. Talk It Out

That night, Gabriella and Troy had put Patrick to bed. They walked out of Patrick's room and Gabriella started crying. Troy turned around and looked at Gabriella confused.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Troy asked wrapping his arms around Gabriella.

"I don't know" Gabriella said wrapping her arms around Troy.

Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek and then a lightbulb went on in Troy's head. He forgot about the mood swings that come after pregnancy.

"I'm sorry" Gabriella cried.

"Hey, it's okay. Did Dr. Fields tell you what to expect when you came home?" Troy asked.

"She did mention mood swings and that my body would be changing again" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"So this is normal, baby. Your body is just trying to get back to normal" Troy said.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Come on. Let's get in bed. Patrick will probably be up soon. Maybe you need to try and get some sleep" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple walked into their bedroom and got into bed and fell asleep. A couple hours later, a cry filled the house. Gabriella woke up and got out of bed. Troy felt Gabriella get out of bed and opened his eyes. He got out of bed and followed her into Patrick's room. Gabriella went to Patrick's crib and picked him up. She carried him to the changing table and lied him down carefully. Troy handed Gabriella a diaper. She smiled and looked down at her newborn son. Gabriella took off the diaper and Patrick cried louder.

"I know baby, I know. I'm sorry" Gabriella said.

Gabriella threw the diaper away and wiped Patrick and put a new diaper on him. She smiled when he stopped crying.

"There, all better" Gabriella said.

Gabriella leaned down and kissed Patrick's head softly. She picked him up and Troy leaned down and kissed Patrick's head. Gabriella placed their son in his crib and made sure that he wasn't going to start crying. The couple then walked out of the room and went into their bedroom. A couple weeks later, Troy came home from his first day back at the hospital. He walked into the apartment and heard Gabriella humming. Troy knew that he shouldn't disturb Gabriella if she was feeding, but didn't want to scare her if she hadn't heard him come home.

"Brie?" Troy called.

"In Pat's room" Gabriella said.

"Everything okay?" Troy called.

"Yeah. You can come in if you want" Gabriella said.

Troy walked to his son's room and poked his head in. Gabriella was sitting in the loveseat that was next to the crib, holding Patrick and watching him eat his meal.

"Hey" Troy said.

Gabriella looked up and smiled.

"Hey, how was your first day back?" Gabriella asked.

"I have been away from it for so long that it took me a minute to get back to the face pace, but I managed. How's Pat?" Troy asked.

Gabriella smiled.

"Hungry" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"How's breastfeeding been?" Troy asked.

"What people say about it is true. I have been losing the baby weight. But, it's exhausting and I feel drained and look like I haven't slept in months" Gabriella said.

Troy walked over to Gabriella and kissed her lips.

"You look beautiful. You had a baby two weeks ago, Brie" Troy said.

"I know. I just didn't think I would look this crazy. I don't even want to look down-" Gabriella started.

"Hey, Brie you had a baby two weeks ago. Your body needs to heal. It's going to take some time for things to go back to normal" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down at Patrick and smiled.

"I didn't mean for that to come out harsh" Troy started.

Gabriella shook her head.

"But I needed to hear that. It's okay, Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy leaned over and kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"Your body needs to heal. That's all" Troy said softly.

Gabriella nodded.

"I'm going to let you finish. I'll start dinner" Troy said.

Troy was about to walk out of the room.

"Troy?" Gabriella called.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"You can stay, you know?" Gabriella said.

"You are okay with it?" Troy asked.

"For right now" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"You sure?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. Troy walked over and sat on the chair that was next to the rocking chair that Gabriella was sitting in.

"It doesn't hurt?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"It feels like he's tugging a little, but that's really it" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Doesn't he have a doctor's appointment coming up soon?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Yeah. Next Tuesday at nine. Are you going to be able to make it?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah, I'll be there. Is he getting shots too or is that later?" Troy asked.

"I don't know. We will see when we go in" Gabriella said.

Gabriella looked down and smiled. Patrick had pulled away.

"Do you want to burp him?" Gabriella asked.

Troy smiled and carefully took Patrick out of Gabriella's arms. Gabriella handed Troy a burp cloth, which he placed over his shoulder. Troy gently patted his son's back until he heard a burp. He smiled and kissed Patrick's head softly.

"When is your next doctor's appointment?" Troy asked.

"In a couple weeks. You don't have to go if you don't want to. She's just going to check me and make sure everything is healing" Gabriella said.

"If you want me to go, I will Brie. We can drop Pat off at my parents house" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. Troy wanting to make sure that he was present for anything that was going on made Gabriella fall in love with him all over again and reassured her that he was keeping the promise that he made to her. Gabriella walked to Troy and kissed his cheek.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I love you too" Troy said.

A week later, Troy walked into the pediatric clinic in the hospital. He walked up to the window.

"Has Patrick Bolton been called in?" Troy asked one of the nurses.

"He is in room four. Who are you?" the nurse asked.

"His father" Troy said.

Troy walked down the hall and knocked on the door. He poked his head in and smiled.

"Hey" Troy said.

"Hi" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"How did he do today?" Troy asked kissing his sleeping son's head.

"Crying all the way to the car and all the way here" Gabriella said.

"I'm sorry" Troy said.

"He's a baby, Troy. He's going to cry" Gabriella said.

"I know. I just wish I could help more" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"You are doing good so far" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. There was a knock on the door and the doctor walked in. An hour later, the little family left the office and went to the parking garage.

"When will you be home?" Gabriella asked.

"I just need to finish up some paperwork and check on my interns and then I will be home" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Gabriella opened the backseat door of the car and Troy placed their son into his car seat.

"Bye Pat. You did so good today" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. Troy closed the door and looked at Gabriella. He took a step closer to Gabriella and leaned in and kissed her lips.

"I'll call you when I am on my way. I'll pick something up for dinner and diapers" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

"I got to go. I love you" Troy said kissing Gabriella one last time.

"I love you too. Bye baby" Gabriella said.

That night, Troy came home and smiled. Gabriella was half asleep on the couch. He walked over and kneeled to her level.

"Come on baby. Let's go" Troy said softly.

"I have to- "Gabriella started.

"I'll take care of it" Troy said gently.

Gabriella stood up and Troy took her hand in his own. The couple walked into the kitchen. Troy took out two plates and opened the containers of take-out that he had brought home. He placed some food on each plate. Troy handed Gabriella a plate and fork. Gabriella walked to the table with Troy following and sat down.

"Did he go down okay?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. When I got home, I fed him and put him down" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. The couple heard a cry and Gabriella was about to get up but was stopped by Troy.

"I'll get him" Troy said.

Troy walked into the bedroom and picked up Patrick.

"Hey buddy. What's wrong, hm?" Troy asked the newborn.

"I fed him a couple hours ago" Gabriella said leaning against the door frame.

Troy looked up and nodded. He carried his son over to the changing table and lied him down carefully.

"Let's check this out" Troy said.

Troy checked Patrick's diaper and nodded. He grabbed a fresh diaper and wipes and changed his son's diaper.

"All better" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. Troy lifted Patrick into his arms. He walked over to the crib and carefully placed Patrick in it.

"Night Pat" Troy said.

Troy walked over to Gabriella and motioned for her to walk out of the room. The couple went into their bedroom.

"Feeling okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"My mom called" Gabriella said.

"Oh. What did she say?" Troy asked.

"She wants to get lunch this week" Gabriella said.

"You should go" Troy said.

"I don't have energy to get dressed or look presentable. Especially with her" Gabriella said.

"Baby, we worked the whole thing with your mom out. She's trying to make an effort. This is what you wanted" Troy said.

"I know that. But, it's just weird. I don't know if it's a motherly instinct or something. Ever since Patrick was born and she came to see me in the hospital, I just am protective of him, myself, and you" Gabriella explained.

"You feel like she's going to disappear" Troy concluded.

Gabriella nodded.

"And if she does, I know that it will make you mad and then when she tries to put a band-aid over what she did- "Gabriella started.

"Baby, listen to me. I get it. But we can't hold a grudge over what she did in the past. We can only focus on what's going on right now. Yeah, it may be a little awkward that she's trying to be around. But at least she's trying, right?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I get that you are protective and as you should be. But, blocking her out is just putting everything back to where it started" Troy said.

"So I should go?" Gabriella asked.

"I say, if she's trying, meet her halfway and see where it goes" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The next morning, Troy woke up and saw that Gabriella was no longer in bed. He got up and walked to Patrick's room and saw that the door was slightly closed. Troy knocked politely.

"Brie?" Troy called.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Everything okay?" Troy asked.

"Yeah, just feeding" Gabriella said from inside the room.

"Okay" Troy said.

Troy walked away from the room and let Gabriella be alone while she fed Patrick. Half an hour later, Gabriella emerged from the room, holding Patrick. She walked into the kitchen and smiled when she saw Troy pouring two cups of coffee.

"Morning" Gabriella said kissing Troy's cheek.

"Morning" Troy said.

Troy opened his arms and Gabriella placed Patrick into them.

"Hi buddy" Troy said.

"Do you want me to bring him with me when I go with my mom or do you want to keep him?" Gabriella asked.

"I'll keep him. You and your mom need some time alone without any distractions" Troy said.

"What are you going to do?" Gabriella asked.

"I may go to my parents' house" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Say hi to mom and dad for me" Gabriella said.

"I will" Troy said.

That afternoon, Gabriella parked her car in the parking lot of the restaurant that she and Maria had agreed on. She walked into the restaurant and saw her mother sitting at a table. Gabriella walked over and sat down.

"Hi mom" Gabriella said.

"Hi, how's it going?" Maria asked.

"Fine" Gabriella said.

"Gabi, I don't want to fight with you. I know that you were upset that I was transferred during your pregnancy. I understand that. But, you are strong-" Maria started.

"You don't know how much you upset and hurt me. You weren't there and when you would call, we couldn't even have a normal conversation. You left during a milestone in my life. A milestone that I needed you because you are my only living parent. When dad died, I was upset that he would never get to see important milestones in my life. But I didn't think you would be missing them too. That's what hurts. You care about your job or promotion more than your own daughter" Gabriella said.

Maria was stunned. She couldn't find the words to respond to her daughter's emotional statement. She swallowed hard and looked at Gabriella.

"I want to make it right, Gabi" Maria said.

"How do I know that you are just saying that and tomorrow when you go back to Florida, everything just goes out the window?" Gabriella asked.

"Gabriella, I'm trying" Maria said.

"The wounds are deep. I understand that you want Patrick to know you. I get that. I want him to know you. But before we even think about that, we have to work on ourselves and the issues that we have" Gabriella said.

Maria nodded.

"I'm not saying this to hurt you, mom. I'm just trying to protect him and I from getting hurt" Gabriella said.

"I understand. I want him to know me. I know that you and Troy both don't trust what I'm telling you" Maria said.

The mother and daughter talked for a little longer. Two hours later, Gabriella opened the front door and walked into the house. Troy was sitting in the living room and saw Gabriella go straight into the bedroom.

"Brie?" Troy called.

Silence. Troy got up and walked into the bedroom. Gabriella was sitting on the bed with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Baby, what happened?" Troy asked softly.

Gabriella choked out a sob. Troy took Gabriella into his arms and let her cry. He rubbed her back soothingly. Twenty minutes later, Gabriella was still laying in Troy's arms but had stopped crying. Troy wanted Gabriella to tell her what had happened with her mom, but in her own time.

"I said things that have been bottled up since my dad passed away" Gabriella said breathlessly.

Troy nodded.

"How did she respond to that?" Troy asked.

"She said that she wanted to make it right and that she knows we don't trust her word. I told her that I wanted her to know Patrick" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"She said a bunch of other stuff too" Gabriella said.

"How did it end?" Troy asked.

"We are going to try and put it behind us. Patrick is kind of the marker of that. I told her that she needed to prove to me that she could be in his life because I don't want him to go through what I did" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. He kissed Gabriella's cheek softly.

"I'm proud of you, Brie" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. A couple weeks later, Gabriella was sitting in an exam room. She had her appointment with Dr. Fields to make sure everything was healing. There was a knock on the door and Troy poked his head in.

"Hey baby" Troy said.

"Hey" Gabriella said.

"How did everything go this morning?" Troy asked.

"Well, I fed him and then he threw up all over me" Gabriella said.

"I'm sorry" Troy said.

"He's three weeks old. It's going to happen" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields came in and did her exam. An hour later, Troy walked Gabriella to her car.

"I'll be home soon okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

"I love you too. Thank mom for me" Troy said referring to his mother watching Patrick.

"I will" Gabriella said.

Gabriella drove home. A couple hours later, Troy came home and smiled when he saw Gabriella holding Patrick and swaying side to side slowly.

"Hi" Troy said.

Gabriella looked up and smiled.

"Hi" Gabriella whispered.

"He out?" Troy asked.

"Almost" Gabriella said.

"Do you want me to put him down?" Troy asked.

"I got him" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. Gabriella continued to sway side to side until Patrick was asleep. She walked into his bedroom and put him into his crib. Gabriella walked out of the bedroom and into the living room.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields had told the couple that everything was healing. But was still sensitive.

"No pain?" Troy asked.

Gabriella smiled and shook her head. She lied down on the couch and motioned for Troy to come lay with her. Troy lied down carefully next to Gabriella.

"She said it would take a while" Gabriella said.

"Yeah. But, we don't want you to be in pain" Troy said.

"She had told me before that we would have to wait a while to have sex because of the sensitivity" Gabriella said.

"We aren't going to worry about that right now" Troy said.

"I'm going to worry about it, Troy" Gabriella said abruptly.

Troy looked at Gabriella, shocked by her tone.

"Brie-" Troy started.

"No Troy. You don't understand" Gabriella said getting up and walking into the bedroom.

Troy followed Gabriella and saw that she got into bed. He got into bed.

"Baby" Troy said softly.

"What?" Gabriella asked softly with her back turned to Troy.

"Talk to me, sweetheart. What was that all about?" Troy asked.

Gabriella turned over to face Troy. Troy saw tears running down Gabriella's face.

"Tell me what you are thinking about" Troy said.

"I want to make love to you, Troy. We haven't done anything in a long time" Gabriella said.

Troy understood what Gabriella was talking about. He kissed Gabriella's forehead softly.

"What I meant was, we shouldn't worry about doing anything. Our priority is you getting healed up. I want to do everything you are saying, baby. I do. I don't want you to feel like I'm unattracted to you or something because that is the complete opposite" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down.

"Baby, the self-control that I have to have to keep my hands off you is more than I can even handle. You are so beautiful and Pat has made you even more" Troy said.

Troy put his finger under Gabriella's chin and raised it so that he was looking at her eyes. Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy. Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek and then her shoulder.

"I love you Brie…so much. You have no idea" Troy said.

"I love you too. Sorry that I'm so emotional" Gabriella said.

"Hey, you just had a baby and you are sleep-deprived . Your body is still trying to get back to what it was before. It's normal. Don't apologize" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips. A couple weeks later, Troy came home and saw Maria sitting in the living room holding Patrick.

"Hi Maria" Troy said.

Maria looked up and smiled.

"Hi Troy" Maria said.

"Where's Brie?" Troy asked.

"She said she was going to take a nap" Maria said.

Troy nodded. He walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind him. Troy smiled when he saw Gabriella sleeping peacefully in their bed. He walked over to the bed and leaned down and kissed Gabriella's forehead softly.

Gabriella opened her eyes slowly. Troy smiled.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded sleepily.

"Just exhausted" Gabriella said.

"Okay. I just wanted to make sure" Troy said.

"There's a couple of bottles that are ready for Pat in the fridge" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. He walked out of the room. A couple hours later, Gabriella walked into the kitchen and smiled when she saw Troy trying to hold Patrick and cook. She placed her hand on Troy's shoulder and opened her arms. Troy gratefully placed their son into them.

"When did my mom leave?" Gabriella asked.

"Like an hour ago. I just gave him a bottle like half an hour ago" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek. Gabriella looked at Troy and smiled.

"What was that for?" Gabriella asked.

"Just because I love you" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"How did it go with mom? Are you both getting along?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. Troy smiled.

"For the most part. She's my mom. She gets on my nerves but it's better than not having her here at all" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I'm glad that everything is working out" Troy said.

That night, Gabriella walked into the bedroom and smiled when she saw Troy sitting up in bed.

"He go down okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. She got into bed and leaned her head against Troy's shoulder.

"From what you have seen with mom, do you think she will go back to how things used to be?" Gabriella asked.

"I think that she's finally trying and seeing how much of an impact that she is making being around. There's always the possibility that everything could go back to what it was before, but you have to be optimistic" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple fell asleep. Gabriella hoped that her mother would stay around and not do what she did to her to her son.


	16. It Will Happen

A year and a half later, Troy walked into the house and smiled when he saw Patrick, who was now a year and a half old standing up while holding onto the couch.

"Hi buddy" Troy said walking over to his son.

Patrick reached his free hand over to Troy. Troy took Patrick's hand and watched him take a couple steps and fall into his arms.

"Good job Pat" Troy said now holding him in his arms.

"He's been doing that a lot today" Lucille said, who was watching from the other couch.

Troy smiled.

"Did Brie call?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. She got a little tied up at the office and would be home a little late" Lucille said.

Troy nodded.

"She had a doctor's appointment this morning and I couldn't go because I had a patient come in for an emergency" Troy said.

"Oh. I'm sure she would have called you and told you if anything was wrong" Lucille said.

"Yeah" Troy said.

The two adults heard the front door unlock and Gabriella walk into the house.

"Hi honey" Lucille said.

"Sorry about being late. I had a lot of stuff to get done" Gabriella said.

"Don't worry" Lucille said.

A couple minutes later, Lucille left the house. Troy walked into the living room and after making sure the front door was locked.

"What happened with Dr. Fields?" Troy asked.

"She said everything looked fine" Gabriella said.

"Good" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Later that night, Gabriella walked into the bedroom and saw Troy climbing into bed.

"He down?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

Gabriella snuggled into Troy's chest.

"Troy?" Gabriella asked.

"Hmm?" Troy asked.

"I want to talk to you about something" Gabriella said.

"What's on your mind baby?" Troy asked.

"What are your thoughts about having another baby?" Gabriella asked slowly.

Troy snaked his arm around Gabriella's waist.

"I want to have another baby. But can we handle another one right now?" Troy asked.

"I mean, maybe when Pat is a little older and you finish your residency" Gabriella said.

"I'll be done with residency in six months and I will get matched to a hospital after that. Do you think we can handle all of that?" Troy asked.

"The only way that we can find out is if we try. We have mom and dad and my mom too" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I don't want you to get stressed out" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down.

"I'm not saying that I don't want to try because I do. We just should make sure that we are going to be okay in all situations. I'm not saying no, Brie" Troy said.

"I want you to finish your residency and get matched. Maybe when you get settled" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I want to try baby. I do" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly and nodded.

"We just have to figure out the details" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"We worked it out with Pat. But, I don't want us to be completely shocked when you find out that you are pregnant. Not that there was anything wrong with it" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I just want to be ready" Troy said.

"I know and I get it. I just have baby fever because Pat is growing up fast and soon he will be walking and talking. He's not going to be a baby forever" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"When I finish my residency and get matched and get settled, then we can start trying okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella and kissed her shoulder.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too. Thanks for listening" Gabriella said.

"Of course. Now, we have a plan" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She leaned in and kissed Troy's lips. A couple months later, Gabriella walked into the house with the mail and looked through it. She saw a letter that was addressed to Troy from the hospital. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Troy?" Gabriella called.

Troy walked into the living room. Gabriella held up the letter.

"From the hospital' Gabriella said.

Troy took a deep breath and released it.

"I'm sure you got in" Gabriella said.

Troy opened the letter and started reading it. A smile crept up on his face.

"What is it?" Gabriella asked.

Troy looked up and smiled.

"I got in. I'm going to be an attending at UC Berkeley's teaching hospital " Troy said.

Gabriella jumped into Troy's arms. Troy sighed in relief as he held Gabriella in his arms.

"I'm so proud of you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. Gabriella looked at Troy, who leaned in and kissed her lips.

"Dada" Patrick said as he held onto the couch and pulled himself up to a standing position.

Troy smiled.

Troy walked over to Patrick and picked him up.

"Hi Pat" Troy said.

Patrick's first word was "dada" and Troy couldn't have been happier.

"When do you start?" Gabriella asked.

"I'll have to call in and find out" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. A week later, Troy came home from his first day as an attending at UC Berkeley's teaching hospital .

"Brie?" Troy called.

"In the kitchen" Gabriella said.

Troy walked into the kitchen and smiled. He kissed Gabriella's cheek.

"How was it?" Gabriella asked.

"It was amazing. I love it" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Good" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Is he Pat down for his nap?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"My mom called" Gabriella said.

"Oh. What did she say?" Troy asked.

"She wanted to see how everything was going" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. A couple weeks later, Troy had gotten off work much later than usual. It was nine PM when he walked into the apartment. Troy walked into the bedroom and saw Gabriella going in and out of sleep. He walked over to her side of the bed and sat down on the edge. Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek softly. Gabriella's eyes opened slowly.

"What happened?" Gabriella asked.

"There was a big accident and a lot of people came in. I tried to call but every time I attempted it, something happened. I'm sorry baby. I didn't think I would be home this late" Troy said.

"Well, you are home now" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Let me go kiss Pat and I'll be right back" Troy said.

Troy walked into Patrick's room and leaned down and kissed his son's head gently.

"Night night, Pat. I love you" Troy said.

Troy walked out of the room and went back to the bedroom. Gabriella was no longer in bed. He peeked into the bathroom that had the door open.

"Baby, you don't need to stay up if you don't want to" Troy said.

"No. Because if I go to bed, we won't even have had a conversation in twenty-four hours" Gabriella said.

"I'm really sorry" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy and smiled slightly. She wrapped her arms around Troy's neck.

"You've been doing really well with the new schedule. It's okay to stay late occasionally. I just want you to communicate with me and tell me what's going on" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I tried" Troy said.

"I know. I'm not mad, Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"So let's talk about this new baby thing" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple walked out of the bathroom and got into bed.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Gabriella asked.

Troy shook his head.

"No baby. Remember we had said once I got settled, we would try" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I'm asking you if you want to start to try" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Are you ready for that?" Gabriella asked.

"My schedule has been consistent and I have gotten the hang of everything" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"So then, let's try" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He leaned over and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

A couple weeks later, Troy came home from the hospital and smiled when he saw Gabriella folding clothes.

"Hey baby" Troy said.

"Hey" Gabriella said.

Troy walked over to Gabriella and kissed her lips.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Fine" Gabriella said.

The couple had started trying for their second child a couple weeks before.

"Is Pat down for his nap?" Troy asked.

"He's with your mom. I needed a break" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. Gabriella finished folding clothes and went and sat next to her husband. Troy pulled Gabriella's legs carefully onto his lap.

"He's staying over there tonight or are we going to go get him later?" Troy asked.

"She's going to keep him for the night she said. We talked for a while" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"You didn't have to tell her if you didn't want to" Troy said.

"She figured it out on her own. I didn't say a word" Gabriella said.

Troy shook his head.

"What did she say about it?" Troy asked.

"She just told me a bunch of stuff" Gabriella said.

"Like what?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked down at her hands that were linked with Troy's.

"Brie" Troy started.

"She was just telling me that after she had you, her and dad wanted to try to have another baby but nothing happened. She said they tried several times and nothing happened" Gabriella confessed.

Troy nodded.

"She shouldn't have told you any of that" Troy said.

"I just started thinking and-" Gabriella started.

"Hey, look at me Brie" Troy said softly.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"It will happen when the time is right. She shouldn't have scared you like that" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy smiled slightly and leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"All we can do is try. We just started to actively try" Troy said.

"I know" Gabriella said.

That night, Gabriella came out of the bathroom and looked at Troy. Troy smiled.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

Gabriella got into bed and leaned her head against Troy's bare chest.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

"I love you too baby girl" Troy said.

The couple lied in silence. It wasn't awkward. There was a lot of thinking going on.

"I didn't hurt you, right?" Troy said breaking the silence.

Gabriella smiled and shook her head.

"Not at all" Gabriella said.

"You would tell me if I did?" Troy asked.

"Always. Don't think about what mom said. I understand why she told me all of that" Gabriella said.

"Why?" Troy asked.

"Well, Pat was our surprise baby. We didn't plan him. He just happened. We are trying to plan and legitimately try for this one. It takes time. That's what she was trying to tell me" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I guess that makes sense" Troy said.

"Don't be mad at her, Troy" Gabriella said.

"To say that to me is one thing. Saying all of that stuff to you is another. Whether we try or not, that's our business. Not my parents. Not your mom's. Not Chad or Tay's" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. A couple weeks later, Troy came home and saw the lights off. He turned on the light in the living room and walked into the bedroom.

"Brie?" Troy called.

Troy heard sniffling coming from the bathroom.

"Brie, baby. Are you okay?" Troy asked.

Troy heard movement and the sniffling coming closer to the door. Gabriella opened the door and looked at Troy.

"What happened honey?" Troy asked.

"Negative" Gabriella said tearfully.

"Come here" Troy said.

Gabriella walked into Troy's arms and leaned into his warm touch. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella and kissed her forehead.

"I had signs" Gabriella started.

"I know. But, that just means we have to try again" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded and sniffled.

"I'm sorry baby" Troy said.

"It's not your fault" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

A couple months went by and still no baby. The couple had Troy's parents and Gabriella's mother over for dinner one night. The subject of the couple trying was a topic of interest.

"Gabi maybe you should go and get checked out" Maria said as she held a sleeping Patrick.

Gabriella was silent.

"If you want this baby as bad as you say that you do, you can't stop trying" Lucille said.

Troy looked his mother and then Maria. He then looked at Gabriella and saw how frustrated she was getting.

"Look, we appreciate your opinions. But, it will happen at some point. It takes time" Troy said.

Gabriella got up and walked into the bedroom and closed and locked the door behind her. Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Sweetheart, can I come in?" Lucille asked through the door.

"I don't really feel like talking right now, mom" Gabriella said.

"I'm sorry for pushing the subject. I didn't mean to upset you" Lucille said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. She walked to the door and unlocked it and opened it. Lucille looked at Gabriella and smiled sympathetically. Gabriella stood to the side and let Lucille walk in. Lucille closed the door behind her.

"I thought it would be easy" Gabriella said simply.

"I know. Troy told me that what I said about how dad and I tried to have a second baby upset you. I didn't mean for it to, Gabi. I didn't tell you that to hurt you or scare you. I was just trying to explain my experience. I'm sorry if I upset you" Lucille said.

"I think that because we are actually trying as opposed to it being an accident is why nothing is happening" Gabriella said.

"Don't let it discourage you. It will happen" Lucille said.

Gabriella nodded. Later that night, Gabriella didn't come out of the bedroom. Troy knocked on the door.

"Baby, you okay?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Can I come in?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

Troy walked into the bedroom and smiled.

"I'm sorry" Troy said.

"For what?" Gabriella asked.

"Our mothers" Troy said.

"It's not your fault. They are just trying to help" Gabriella said.

"Yeah, but they don't have to _help_ that much" Troy said.

Gabriella shrugged.

"It will happen. I know that you are tired of hearing that, but it will baby" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. A couple weeks later, Gabriella walked into the apartment with Patrick's car seat. She put her purse and bag down. Gabriella unbuckled her son from his car seat and lifted him out of it.

"Hi sweet boy. Let me get your milk ready and it will be nap time" Gabriella said.

Gabriella heated Patrick's milk up and handed him the bottle. She smiled as she watched her son hold the bottle by himself.

"Daddy taught you that way too early" Gabriella said.

Gabriella walked over to the couch and sat down. Twenty minutes later, Patrick finished his bottle and Gabriella walked into his bedroom and placed him in his crib.

"Have a good nap baby. I love you" Gabriella said.

Gabriella walked out of the bedroom and went over to the bag that she brought home. She pulled out the contents and sighed. Gabriella took the three pregnancy tests and went into the bathroom. Ten minutes later, she took a deep breath.

"Now or never" Gabriella said.

Gabriella walked into the bathroom and looked at the pregnancy tests and smiled.

 _Positive._

Gabriella's heart skipped a beat. Tears ran down her face. Now she needed to figure out how to tell Troy.


	17. Home Is Wherever You Are

A couple days later, Gabriella figured out how to tell Troy that she was pregnant. She had gone to Dr. Fields to confirm her pregnancy and to have an ultrasound done. Gabriella came home with the sonogram and put it onto the fridge with a magnet. She smiled. Gabriella looked down at her flat stomach and put her hand on it.

"Your daddy is going to be so happy" Gabriella said.

Later that day, Troy came home and walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and a bottle for Patrick. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out Patrick's bottle and closed the refrigerator. Troy placed the bottle into the microwave and let it heat up. As it was heating up, Troy looked at the refrigerator. He saw the sonogram and smiled brightly. Gabriella was pregnant with his second child. When the microwave went off, Troy took the bottle of milk out and tested it, making sure that it wasn't too hot for his son. He then walked into the bedroom and smiled when he saw Gabriella and Patrick lying in their bed.

"Hey" Troy said.

"Hey" Gabriella said.

Troy walked over to the bed and handed Patrick his bottle and made sure he put it into his mouth.

"I got a surprise in the kitchen" Troy said coyly.

"Oh? What was it?" Gabriella asked playing along.

Troy walked over to Gabriella's side of the bed and sat on the edge. He leaned down and kissed Gabriella's lips passionately. Gabriella pulled away slowly.

"I'm so happy" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"You came to the hospital and didn't tell me" Troy said.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. Nicole saw me and I told her not to tell you" Gabriella said.

Troy shook his head. He smoothed Gabriella's hair back and smiled.

"How far along are you?" Troy asked.

"Six weeks" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"Now, our mothers can stop bothering us" Troy said.

Gabriella giggled.

"It's healthy?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"What did she say? Anything that I need to know?" Troy asked.

"She said that its healthy. Told me how far along I am and that's it" Gabriella said.

Troy couldn't stop smiling.

"We have to wait a couple weeks before telling our parents" Troy said.

"I know. But, I wanted to tell you as soon as I got confirmation" Gabriella said.

"You knew before you went to Fields?" Troy asked.

"I had signs and it was different than the signs that I felt a couple months ago. I took a couple tests and they came back positive. But, I wanted to know for sure so I went to Dr. Fields" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Pat's going to be a big brother" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at her sleeping son and smiled. That night, the couple went to bed with smiles on their faces. The next morning, Troy was in the kitchen making Patrick's breakfast. He picked up the bowl and placed it on the kitchen table. Troy walked into the living room and smiled.

"Come here Pat" Troy said kneeling down.

Troy watched Patrick stand up with the help of the couch and start walking, but fell halfway to him. He smiled.

"Try it again, buddy" Troy said.

Patrick stood up and looked at Troy, who smiled at him. Troy opened his arms and watched Patrick take a couple steps and fall into his arms.

"Good job, Pat" Troy said.

Troy picked Patrick up and walked over to the kitchen table. He placed his son into his high chair and started to feed him. Ten minutes later, Gabriella came out of the bedroom and smiled when she saw Troy feeding Patrick. She walked over to Troy and wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"Morning baby" Troy said smiling at Gabriella.

Gabriella smiled.

"Morning" Gabriella said.

"Feeling okay?" Troy asked.

"I threw up earlier" Gabriella said.

"Earlier?" Troy asked.

"Before you woke up. Like around six" Gabriella said.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shrugged.

"I just wanted you to sleep" Gabriella said.

"If you don't feel well baby, I would like to know so I can help" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I just didn't want to wake you up before your shift" Gabriella said.

"Please wake me up next time" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled slightly.

"Mom is going to come over at around nine. There are bottles and baby food in the refrigerator" Gabriella said.

"Baby" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy. Troy smiled.

"Relax" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"I'm a little anxious" Gabriella said.

"I can see that. Go to the office. I have everything under control" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded and leaned in and kissed Troy's lips softly.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

"I love you too sweetheart" Troy said.

Troy wanted to handle taking care of Patrick so that Gabriella wouldn't get stressed out. Later that day, the phone rang.

"Hello?" Troy answered.

"Hi Troy, is Gabi there?" Taylor asked.

"She's here. But she is taking a nap right now, Tay. What's up?" Troy asked.

"Just checking in. Can you let her know I called?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah" Troy said.

Troy and Taylor hung up. A couple hours later, Gabriella walked into the apartment and smiled when she saw Troy laying on the couch with Patrick, who was sleeping.

"Hi baby" Troy said.

"Hi" Gabriella said.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"A little nauseous, but okay" Gabriella said.

"Tay called. I told her that you would call her back" Troy said.

I'll call her in a little bit" Gabriella said walking over to the couch.

Gabriella leaned down and kissed Troy's lips. She then placed a kiss on Patrick's head.

"Dr. Fields called also" Troy said.

"What did she say?" Gabriella asked.

"She called to remind you that you have an appointment next week" Troy said.

"Okay. Can you make it?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah. I just need to let the chief know" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

"You nervous?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"I'm not nervous" Gabriella said.

"He will be two when he or she comes. That's a good age. Not a big age gap" Troy said.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"I think we are going to have to start looking for a house though. Now that we have a new baby coming, we are starting to outgrow the apartment" Troy said.

"Our first house" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled and nodded.

"Dada" Patrick said quietly.

Troy looked down and smiled.

"Hey buddy. Did you have a nice nap?" Troy asked.

"Mm" Patrick said which the couple assumed meant "yes".

"Go say hi to mommy" Troy said.

Patrick looked at Gabriella and smiled. Gabriella smiled and opened her arms. Patrick reached for Gabriella. Gabriella lifted Patrick out of Troy's arms and set him on her hip.

"Hi baby. I missed you" Gabriella said kissing her son's head.

Troy smiled watching Gabriella and Patrick interact.

"When did you want to start looking for houses?" Gabriella asked.

"Maybe we could look at a couple houses the day of your appointment" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"That sounds good" Gabriella said.

That night, Gabriella walked into the living room after taking a shower. She had gotten sick after dinner.

"Hey sweetie, are you feeling okay?" Troy asked.

"Sick" Gabriella said.

"Did you throw up again?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said sitting down next to Troy on the couch.

"Is it just nausea?" Troy asked.

Gabriella leaned her head against Troy's shoulder and nodded.

"Do you want me to make you some tea?" Troy asked.

"No. I just need to let my stomach settle" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I love you too" Troy said.

A week later, Gabriella walked into the cardiothoracic surgery office and walked to the reception desk.

"Hi Ms. Bolton, you can you go on back" Sarah, the receptionist said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Thanks" Gabriella said.

Gabriella walked down the hallway and stopped at Troy's office. She knocked on the closed door. Troy opened the door and held his finger up. He was on the phone.

"Yeah, the pre-op will be on Monday and then on Tuesday be here around seven for surgery, okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled watching Troy speak with his patient. She was so proud of him. All that they had been through together to get him to this point in his career was hard, but worth it. Gabriella was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard Troy call her name.

"Baby, you ready to go?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"You okay?" Troy asked taking her hand in his as they walked out of the office.

"Yeah. A little tired" Gabriella said.

"Is Pat with mom?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. He didn't want me to leave today" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. The couple walked upstairs to Dr. Fields office and Gabriella signed herself in. She then sat down next to Troy. A couple minutes later, Gabriella's name was called and the couple followed a nurse into a small room to get her vitals. The couple was then brought to an exam room. The nurse handed Gabriella a gown and left the room. Gabriella changed into the gown and sat down on the exam table. An hour later, the couple left Dr. Fields office.

"Ten weeks in" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled and nodded.

"So the next time we come, if everything looks okay, we can tell our parents?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah" Troy said.

"You worried?" Gabriella asked.

Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled.

"About what?" Troy asked.

"Everything" Gabriella said.

"My schedule is a lot different now than it was. My head is more focused on our family. The only thing that we have to watch out for is stress level" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Mom is here now. So that issue is eliminated" Troy said.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Everything's going to be fine" Troy said.

That night, Gabriella carried an upset Patrick into the bedroom. Troy turned on the bedside lamp.

"Hey buddy" Troy said.

"Dada" Patrick said crawling over to Troy on the bed.

"I think he had a bad dream. His diaper was clean and I gave him his bottle right before we put him down" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. He put his arm around his son so that Gabriella could get comfortable in bed.

"Two babies" Troy said.

"Yeah, but at least Pat will be two by the time the baby comes" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. A couple weeks later, Troy came home and smiled when he saw Patrick stand up with the help of the wall and look at him.

"Come to daddy" Troy said kneeling down to his son's level.

Patrick took one step and then another step. He then took a shaky one and fell into Troy's arms.

"Good job, buddy. Where's mommy?" Troy asked.

Patrick just pointed to the living room. Troy lifted his son into his arms and walked into the living room.

"Hi baby" Troy said.

"Hey" Gabriella said walking over to Troy and kissing his lips.

"How was your day?" Troy asked.

"Busy. I had a lot of work to do. On top of all of that, I threw up" Gabriella said.

Troy sighed.

"How are you feeling now?" Troy asked.

"Better. I think it was a smell or something" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Did you take care of mommy when she got sick?" Troy asked looking down at his son.

Gabriella smiled.

"He gave me a big hug and snuggles" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"He's going to be an exact replica of you" Gabriella said.

"I can only hope" Troy said.

That night, Gabriella came out of the bathroom. Troy was sitting up in bed.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded tiredly.

"Pat never made me throw up this much" Gabriella said.

"Just relax" Troy said.

Gabriella got into bed and sighed. Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek softly.

"Did Pat go down okay?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah" Troy said.

"What's the schedule like tomorrow?" Gabriella asked.

"I have two pre-op appointments and one surgery" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I think I'm going to take Pat to visit my mom" Gabriella said.

"Okay. Remember you can't tell her about the baby yet for two more weeks" Troy said.

"I know. But, I think she is going to know as soon as I walk into the house" Gabriella said.

"Mother's intuition" Troy said.

"I hope it's not crazy like last time" Gabriella said changing the subject.

"You can only do so much, Brie. Things happen. I'm here to help" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I know. I just hope that my mom remains on this good path" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Remember what I said last time, if she wants to come, she will" Troy said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly. He placed his hand on Gabriella's flat stomach.

"Get some sleep okay? You need rest" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple went to bed. The next morning, Troy woke up and frowned when he didn't see Gabriella next to him. He sat up and sighed when he saw the bathroom door closed. Troy got out of bed and walked over to the closed bathroom door and knocked politely.

"Brie, you okay?" Troy asked.

Troy put his ear to the door and heard Gabriella dry heaving. He turned the doorknob and saw that the door was unlocked. Troy walked into the bathroom and saw Gabriella kneeling in front of the toilet. He picked up one of her hair ties and walked over to Gabriella. Troy tied his wife's hair back and kissed her head softly.

"It's okay, baby. Just relax" Troy said rubbing Gabriella's back.

Ten minutes later, Gabriella stepped away from the toilet and took a deep breath. Troy helped her stand up. Gabriella walked to the sink and brushed her teeth. After she finished. Gabriella wiped the remaining tears away.

"Was this the worst?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Yeah" Gabriella said softly.

"Do you need me to stay home?" Troy asked.

"You have appointments and a surgery" Gabriella said.

"Brie, do you need me to stay?" Troy repeated.

Gabriella nodded.

"Okay. Do you want me to call in for you?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Alright. Let me go make some calls" Troy said.

Twenty minutes later, Troy walked into Patrick's room and smiled when he saw Patrick standing up in his crib.

"Hey bud, did you have a good sleep?" Troy asked lifting his son out of his crib.

Troy carried Patrick over to the changing table and changed his diaper.

"Dada dada dada" Patrick said repeatedly.

"Hi" Troy said as he changed his son's diaper.

Troy smiled. Every time Patrick said "dada" Troy's heart would swell. Troy finished changing Patrick's diaper and dressed him for the day.

"Come on, let's go see mommy. Can you say mommy?" Troy asked.

"Momo" Patrick said.

Troy smiled.

"Close. Mommy will happy that you attempted it" Troy said lifting Patrick into his arms.

Troy walked out of the room with Patrick on his hip and went into his and Gabriella's room.

"Your name is now momo" Troy said.

"What?" Gabriella asked.

"Patrick, do you want to see mommy?" Troy asked.

"Momo" Patrick said.

Gabriella giggled. She opened her arms and Troy placed Patrick into them.

"Hi baby" Gabriella said kissing her son.

"Do you still want to go over to mom's?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Are you feeling better?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. Once I get food into me, I will be fine. Do you want to go look at houses today too?" Gabriella asked.

"Sure. We can leave Pat at mom's" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple got themselves and Patrick ready for the day. They then left the house. Once at Maria's, the couple sat down.

"So what are you guys up to today?" Maria asked.

"Going to go look at houses. The apartment is getting a little cramped" Gabriella said.

"Do you need me to keep Pat?" Maria asked.

"If you aren't busy" Gabriella said.

"I can watch him" Maria said.

"Thank you" the couple said.

The couple left Maria's and started looking at houses. A couple hours later, the couple were at home looking through the flyers of the houses that they had seen.

"So what did you think?" Gabriella asked.

"This one was my favorite out of all of them" Troy said pointing to one of the flyers.

Gabriella nodded.

"It's in our price range and it is a house that I could see us living in and raising Pat and the baby there. It had a yard too" Troy said.

"I liked that one too. But is it too far from the hospital and my office?" Gabriella asked.

"We must compromise on that" Troy said.

"We live ten minutes away from the hospital now. When I go into labor-" Gabriella started.

Troy nodded. That was an important point. They had been living in the apartment when Gabriella had Patrick.

"Aren't the others far away too?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

Troy put his hand on top of Gabriella's.

"If you like this house, I think that we should put an offer on it. Patrick took a while to come once your water broke" Troy said.

"I just don't want to realize that I can't hold on and have him in the car or something" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple heard Patrick babbling in the baby monitor.

"Dada dada" Patrick said.

Troy smiled. He got up and walked into Patrick's room. Troy came back into the living room with Patrick. Gabriella smiled.

"Hi baby. How was your nap?" Gabriella asked.

Troy put Patrick down onto his feet.

"Go walk to mommy" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled and stood up kneeled down and opened her arms. Patrick took a couple steps and tried to balance himself. Troy smiled. Patrick walked to Gabriella and fell into her arms.

"Good job, Pat!" Gabriella said kissing her son's cheek.

The rest of the day, the little family relaxed around the house and were excited about the new chapter in their lives.


	18. It's Forgiven But Never Forgotten

Two weeks later, Gabriella was cleaning the apartment. The couple was going to have their families over for dinner and to announce Gabriella's pregnancy. Troy was at the hospital finishing up a couple of appointments. Gabriella walked into the living room and her eyes widened as she watched her son try to pull himself onto the couch.

"Hey little monkey. You know you aren't supposed to be up there" Gabriella said lifting Patrick into her arms.

"Momo" Patrick said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Mommy" Gabriella said.

"Moooom" Patrick said.

Gabriella giggled.

"Just like your daddy" Gabriella said.

A couple hours later, Troy walked into the apartment and was about to say something but Gabriella put her finger to her lips and pointed to a sleeping Patrick, lying on the couch.

"He didn't want to go down in his crib" Gabriella whispered.

Troy smiled slightly.

"He missed his mommy" Troy whispered.

Gabriella smiled. Troy kissed Gabriella's lips.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Fine. I only threw up once so that was good" Gabriella said.

"Good. What time are our families coming?" Troy asked.

"Six. We should wake Pat up soon. He needs to take a bath before everyone comes over since they will be leaving around his bedtime" Gabriella said.

"I will give him a bath" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. An hour later, Troy walked out of the bathroom with Pat on his hip.

"All clean" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. Forty-five minutes later, the Boltons and Maria arrived at the apartment. They all ate together.

"That was so good, Gabi. You outdid yourself once again" Jack said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Thanks dad" Gabriella said.

"We have an announcement" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled looking at Troy.

"What is it?" Maria asked.

Gabriella looked at her in-laws and mother.

"You are going to be grandparents again in six months" Gabriella said.

The Boltons and Maria cheered. Both Lucille and Maria kissed Gabriella. Later that night, Gabriella was sitting up in bed. Troy came into the bedroom with an envelope in his hand.

"What's that?" Gabriella asked.

Troy handed Gabriella the envelope. Gabriella opened the envelope and pulled the contents out of it. She started reading and within thirty seconds her eyes grew. Gabriella looked at Troy.

"We got the house?" Gabriella asked incredulously.

Troy nodded.

"We got the house. I got the call two weeks ago. But with us waiting to tell our parents about the baby and making sure he or she was on track, I wanted to wait to tell you" Troy said.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy and kissed his lips. Troy kissed Gabriella back.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I love you too. Are you excited?" Troy asked.

"Yes. Our first house. When can we move in?" Gabriella asked.

"At the end of the month we should be all moved in. I'm going to ask Chad and my dad to help out" Troy said.

"I can help too" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"Brie, I would rather you not. I don't want to sound mean. But, you shouldn't be lifting anything heavy. I am only trying to protect you and the baby" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down.

"I know you want to help, baby. But I don't want you or the baby to get hurt" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

"Hey" Troy said putting his finger under Gabriella's chin and bringing it up so she was looking at him.

"I understand" Gabriella said.

"You can help pack and unpack the light stuff okay?" Troy said trying to compromise with his pregnant wife.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's forehead softly.

"Get some sleep" Troy said.

The couple went to bed. A couple weeks later, Troy came home and smiled when he saw Gabriella in the living room with Patrick's winter clothes and folding them and placing them into a box.

"How are the clothes coming?" Troy asked.

"Fine. I'm almost done with Pat's. I did mine already. I just have to do yours" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"A little tired. But I'm okay" Gabriella said.

"How long have you been working on the clothes today?" Troy asked.

"A while Dr. Bolton" Gabriella said.

Troy got the hint of sarcasm in Gabriella's voice.

"How about I finish up the clothes and you take a nap? You've been working hard baby. I think you need a break" Troy said.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

"Stress level Gabriella" Troy said but then instantly regretted it.

Gabriella looked at Troy with hurt in her eyes.

"Brie, I didn't-" Troy started.

Gabriella got up and walked to the bedroom and closed the door behind her. Troy took a deep breath in and closed his eyes and exhaled. He knew that was wrong to bring up. Troy walked over to the bedroom door and knocked politely.

"Brie, can you open the door?" Troy asked.

"I don't want to talk to you right now" Gabriella said through the door.

"I just wanted to apologize. It was wrong for me to bring that up. I just want to protect you and our baby. I don't want you to have a problem with your stress level like last time" Troy said.

Gabriella opened the door a little bit and looked at Troy.

"I'm sorry" Troy said.

Gabriella opened the door a little wider and walked closer to Troy and wrapped her arms around him.

"That was really mean, Troy" Gabriella said.

"I know. I'm sorry baby. Maybe I'm just overprotecting you because I'm scared. I don't know. But even if I am, it doesn't give me the right to say something like that to you" Troy said rubbing his hair.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at his wife.

"It's okay to be scared. Don't you think I am? I love that you protect me and want me to be safe. But some things you just should let happen. You can't control every situation and try to prevent it from happening" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"And just because you are a doctor doesn't mean you can't be scared or try to help me out when I need it. But you have to let me do some things" Gabriella said.

"Let's start with the little things okay? Not too heavy. Let me handle the big stuff" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled and leaned in and kissed Troy's lips. A couple weeks later, Troy and Chad were moving the furniture into the new house. Gabriella was at Maria's, under Dr. Fields orders. Troy had gone to her and asked for her opinion, which made Gabriella angry but understanding of Troy's reasoning. The doorbell rang at Maria's and she answered the door and came into the living room.

"Gabi, Troy's here" Maria said.

Gabriella looked at her husband. Troy put his hands in his pockets and looked at Maria.

"Can we have a minute?" Troy asked.

Maria smiled and left the room. Troy walked over to the couch that Gabriella was lying on.

"Did you finish?" Gabriella asked.

"Almost. We have a couple things left. But, we are taking a break right now. I wanted to see how you were doing" Troy said.

"Pat's taking his nap" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Brie, I didn't mean to make you mad. I just don't want there to be a possibility of you getting hurt" Troy said.

"I was just shocked that you went to Dr. Fields and told her. That wasn't okay, Troy" Gabriella said.

"If you heard it from her, I knew you would have listened. That's why I told her. If anything were to happen to you or the baby Brie, I would never forgive myself. I thought that we compromised and that we came to an understanding" Troy said.

"We did. But, that doesn't mean I have to like it" Gabriella said.

"Come on Brie, don't do this" Troy said.

"You being around more doesn't mean you can tell me what I can and can't do. Even if it is out of love or protection" Gabriella said.

Troy looked down.

"I'll call you later and let you know when we are done" Troy said ignoring Gabriella's statement.

Troy left the house. Gabriella felt bad about how she spoke to Troy. She just wanted to help. An hour later, Chad, Troy, and Jack were still moving furniture. Gabriella parked her car and walked into the garage where the men were taking a break.

"Hey Gabs" Chad said.

Troy turned around and smiled slightly.

"Can I talk to you inside please?" Gabriella asked softly.

Troy nodded. The couple walked into the house. Gabriella looked at Troy.

"I'm sorry for how I acted and what I said to you. I'm just frustrated that I can't help and I want to" Gabriella said.

"Brie, I know you want to help. I know you do baby and I want you to. Like I said before, I don't want you to get hurt. That's a legitimate reason, right?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"I don't want to argue about this anymore. The thing about me being around more-" Troy started.

"It was wrong for me to have said that" Gabriella said.

"I don't want you to get hurt" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"You should go finish moving so we can just unpack everything tomorrow" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Gabriella was about to leave when she heard Troy call her.

"Brie?" Troy called.

Gabriella looked at her husband.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

Troy walked closer to Gabriella and kissed her lips. He put his hand on one side of Gabriella's cheek and held it in his hand. Troy kissed Gabriella's forehead lovingly.

"I'll be home soon" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Troy watched Gabriella leave the house. The next morning, Troy woke up and saw that Gabriella was no longer in bed. He got out of bed and walked into Patrick's room and smiled when he saw his son standing up in his crib.

"Morning Pat" Troy said.

"Dada" Patrick said holding his arms up.

Troy lifted Patrick out of his crib and carried him over to the changing table and changed his diaper. He then picked out an outfit for his son and placed him on the floor. Patrick held onto Troy's leg and pulled himself up. Troy smiled.

"Do you want to walk with daddy?" Troy asked.

Patrick reached for Troy's hand. Troy took Patrick's hand and carefully walked with him out of the room. Troy heard movement coming from the kitchen and saw Gabriella putting things in boxes.

"I hope those are light" Troy said.

Gabriella turned around and smiled when she saw Patrick holding Troy's hand and standing up.

"Did he walk like that?" Gabriella asked.

"He walked from the bedroom to here. Brie, please be careful" Troy said.

"I am. Don't worry" Gabriella said.

Gabriella kneeled down and looked at Patrick. Troy looked down at Patrick and released his hand. Patrick walked to Gabriella and squealed.

"Good job baby" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"He will be walking without help any day now" Troy said.

"He grew up so fast" Gabriella said.

"Yeah. Now we have to focus on this one" Troy said placing his hand on Gabriella's tiny bump.

Gabriella nodded.

"I really am sorry about yesterday" Gabriella said.

"Hey, it's forgiven and forgotten" Troy said.

Gabriella leaned in and kissed Troy's lips. Troy kissed her back and pulled away. Gabriella looked at Troy.

"I have an appointment next week" Gabriella said.

"What day?" Troy asked.

"Tuesday at ten. Mom said she would watch Pat" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

That night, Gabriella was in the bathroom in the bathtub. She had a bad day at work and needed some time to herself. There was a knock on the door and Troy poked his head in.

"Hey" Troy said.

"Hey" Gabriella said.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

"Just tired and a little achy" Gabriella said.

"Anything I can do?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"No. He or she is just growing and putting a little pressure on mommy" Gabriella said.

"Is Pat staying at mom's?" Troy asked.

"Your parents" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. Gabriella moaned.

"Brie?" Troy asked.

"Just cramps" Gabriella said answering his following question.

Troy walked over to the tub and kneeled down and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"Let me know if they get any worse" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Later that night, Troy was sitting up in bed. Gabriella walked into the bedroom.

"So tomorrow you and Chad are going to move the bed and start unpacking?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"I'm fine" Gabriella said.

"Cramps are gone?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

Gabriella got into bed. Troy leaned over and pulled Gabriella's shirt up, exposing her tiny baby bump, and placed a kiss on it. Gabriella smiled.

"Get some sleep okay? You need it" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"Love you" Gabriella said.

"Love you too baby" Troy said.

The next day, Troy and Chad moved the rest of Troy and Gabriella's belongings and started unpacking in the new house.

"What are you going to do with these boxes?" Chad asked pointing to four small boxes.

Troy looked at the boxes that Chad was referring to.

"Those are the light ones. I promised Gabriella that she could unpack the light boxes. I felt bad when she was telling me how she felt about be excluded from the moving process" Troy said.

Chad smiled.

"You don't want her to get hurt" Chad said.

"But in her mind, that is called excluding" Troy said.

"You are a good guy, Troy" Chad said.

Troy smiled slightly. That night, Troy and Chad had finished moving and unpacking what they could. Troy drove to Maria's and parked his car. He walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. Maria opened the door with Patrick on her hip. Troy smiled.

"Hey buddy" Troy said lifting Patrick out of his mother-in-law's arms.

"Did you guys finish?" Maria asked.

"Yeah. Everything's at the new house. Where's Brie?" Troy asked.

"In the kitchen" Maria said.

Troy walked into the kitchen and smiled when he saw Gabriella sitting at the island with her laptop. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hi pretty girl" Troy said.

"Hi" Gabriella said.

"We finished" Troy said.

"Let me go get Pat's stuff and we can go" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. Gabriella got her stuff together and the little family left the house. Troy drove to their house and parked his car. The couple walked into the house.

"These boxes are all yours" Troy said pointing to boxes that were still sealed.

"What do you mean?" Gabriella asked.

"These are the light boxes. You can unpack these" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly. She walked over to Troy and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you baby" Gabriella said.

"Chad and I made the bed and unpacked some of the big stuff. I'll do the rest tomorrow" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

Troy placed his hand on Gabriella's growing bump.

"How's baby doing today?" Troy asked.

"Making me uncomfortable" Gabriella mumbled.

"All the moving stress" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Why don't you start on your boxes tomorrow? Relax for tonight" Troy said.

Gabriella finally gave in and nodded. Later that night, Troy came into the master bedroom and smiled when he saw Gabriella going in and out of sleep. He quietly got into bed and Gabriella opened her eyes.

"Go back to sleep. It's just me" Troy said.

Gabriella just snuggled into Troy's chest.

"I missed you today" Gabriella mumbled.

Troy kissed Gabriella temple.

"I missed you too. Now that we have everything here, I won't be going back and forth" Troy said.

"Good" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

The couple went to sleep. A couple days later, Gabriella was in the kitchen organizing dishes.

"Hey baby" Troy said walking into the kitchen and placing a kiss on Gabriella's cheek.

"Hey, how was your day?" Gabriella asked.

"Alright. Busy. How was the office?" Troy asked.

"Fine. My mom called" Gabriella said.

"How is she?" Troy asked.

Gabriella stopped what she was doing and looked at Troy.

"Brie" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"You need to sit down" Gabriella said.

Troy pulled himself up on the counter that was across from Gabriella.

"She got transferred again" Gabriella said solemnly.

Troy closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy opened his eyes and looked at Gabriella.

"I know you are mad and you have every right to be" Gabriella said as her eyes filled with tears.

Troy slid off the counter and wrapped his arms around Gabriella.

"Can you please say something?" Gabriella asked.

Troy put a finger under Gabriella's chin and brought it up so she was looking directly at him.

"I love you" Troy said.

Gabriella broke down. Troy held Gabriella in his arms as she cried. He rubbed her back as she cried.

"You would think after doing it so many times you would get used to it" Gabriella said sniffling.

"She's your mom, Brie. You want her here. I think that's normal" Troy said.

"But it's like you would think that after being around Pat, she would want to stay and watch him and this baby grow up" Gabriella said.

"I know. But, she's a grown woman. She's going to do whatever she wants" Troy said.

"I don't feel good" Gabriella mumbled.

"Cramps?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Look at me baby" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"I know that this is a big deal and it hurts. Believe me, I do. But having your body or the baby get stressed out is not something we want. Whatever happens is going to happen. Don't fight with her. It's not worth risking your health" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"What if she tries to call or something? This isn't going to blow over" Gabriella said.

"I will take care of it, okay? All you have to worry about is keeping him or her safe and healthy" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I love you too. Don't worry about this okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She kissed Troy's lips. A couple days later, Troy was at the hospital and was returning a file to the receptionist. He turned around and his eyes widened. Gabriella was sitting in the waiting area. He picked up his phone and didn't see any missed calls. Troy walked over to his wife and kneeled in front of her.

"Hey pretty girl. You didn't tell me you were coming" Troy said.

"Sorry" Gabriella said quietly.

"It's not Tuesday so I didn't miss your appointment. Come on, let's go into my office okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy helped Gabriella stand up. The couple walked into Troy's office. Troy shut the door behind them. Gabriella sat down in the chair that was in front of Troy's desk. Troy walked over to the corner of the desk and sat on the edge.

"What's going on baby?" Troy asked.

"Mom left today" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Did she call you or how did you find out?" Troy asked.

"She called and stopped by the house" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. Gabriella wiped a tear that was running down her cheeks. Troy grabbed a tissue box that was on his desk and handed it to Gabriella.

"I didn't want to be home alone when I got off work so that is why I came here" Gabriella said.

"I'm glad that you came and told me" Troy said.

"It feels a lot more painful than the last time" Gabriella said.

"There isn't just you involved this time. There are two babies involved too" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"She said that she would fly down to be here when the baby comes. But, I don't know if she really is going to keep her word" Gabriella said.

"I'm going to see if Tay is done with her shift, maybe you guys can go hang out while I finish here and I will come get you after" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips. Gabriella leaned her forehead against Troy's.

"Everything's going to be okay sweetheart. I promise" Troy said softly.

"Even though it was hard to adjust to, thank you for always being there when I needed you to be" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"I will always be there. No matter what. You, Pat, and this baby are my life" Troy said placing his hand on Gabriella's expanding bump.

Gabriella kissed Troy's lips. An hour later, Gabriella left with Taylor. Troy went back to work but his mind was somewhere else. He knew that Maria moving was going to be a big adjustment for Gabriella, but he hoped that he could make it a little easier for her.


	19. I Think I'm Going To Have A Heart Attack

That night, Troy rolled over in bed and reached his arm out to wrap around Gabriella, but was met with the bed. He opened his eyes and saw that Gabriella wasn't in bed. Troy looked at the bathroom and saw that the light was off. He got out of bed and walked downstairs to the living room. Gabriella was laying on the couch wrapped in a blanket with a cup of tea in her hand and watching television. Troy walked into the living room and sat down next to her.

"What's got you up this late, Brie? Do you have cramps?" Troy asked.

"No. I just needed some time to think" Gabriella said taking a sip of her tea.

"About your mom?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded leaning her head against Troy's shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Troy asked carefully.

Gabriella shook her head. Troy kissed Gabriella's temple.

"You know that if you need to, I'm here" Troy said.

Gabriella wrapped one of her arms around Troy's and nodded.

"I know. Thank you. Go back to sleep. You have to be up-" Gabriella started.

"I'm not going to go back to bed when my pregnant wife, who just found out that her mother is being transferred to a different state, is sitting on the couch at three AM. No way" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down. Troy lifted Gabriella's shirt, revealing her expanding bump. He leaned down and kissed it gently. Gabriella smiled. She closed her eyes as Troy rubbed her with her bump in soothing small circles. Troy kissed Gabriella's shoulder.

"I love you" Troy said softly.

Gabriella opened her eyes slowly and looked at Troy and smiled.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"You ready to go back to bed?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Okay, let's go" Troy said.

Troy stood up and helped Gabriella stand up. The couple walked upstairs and went back to bed. A couple days later, Gabriella was in an exam room, waiting for Troy. There was a knock on the door. Troy poked his head in and smiled.

"Hey" Troy said kissing Gabriella's lips.

"Hi" Gabriella said.

"How are you feeling today?" Troy asked.

"Tired" Gabriella said.

"Any word from your mom?" Troy asked placing his hand on Gabriella's bump.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Do you want to find out the sex if we can today?" Gabriella asked changing the subject.

Troy smiled. He knew Gabriella was trying to be strong.

"Do you want to?" Troy asked.

"I want to. Just so we can figure out what room we need to finish unpacking" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"If you want to, I'm game" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. She leaned in and kissed Troy's lips softly. Troy rubbed Gabriella's back. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came into the room.

"Hi guys. How are you feeling, Gabi?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Tired and a little stressed out" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"What's been going on?" Dr. Fields asked as she washed her hands.

"My mom got transferred again so I've just been an emotional wreck" Gabriella said.

"I'm so sorry Gabi" Dr. Fields said.

"You would think I would be used to it, but I'm not" Gabriella said.

"Well, you have an amazing husband that is very supportive" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella looked at Troy and her eyes filled with tears and nodded. Troy smiled and kissed Gabriella's cheek.

"I would be going insane without him" Gabriella said tearfully.

"Let's see how the baby is doing okay?" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded. She lied back on the table. Gabriella took Troy's hand in her own. Troy looked at Gabriella and saw the look in her eye and knew she was getting emotional. He leaned down and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"You guys ready?" Dr. Fields asked.

The couple nodded. Dr. Fields had prepped Gabriella. She took the wand and moved it around Gabriella's bump. The couple and Dr. Fields looked at the screen.

"There's your baby" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella smiled as tears ran down her cheeks. Troy pointed out body parts that they could see to Gabriella.

"Have you talked about finding out the sex?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy, who looked at her. She looked at Dr. Fields and nodded.

"Okay, let's see if we could find out" Dr. Fields said.

Dr. Fields moved the wand around Gabriella's stomach and looked at the monitor. She moved it again slightly and smiled.

"Looks like Troy is going to have another woman in his life. Congratulations guys, it's a girl" Dr. Fields said.

Troy smiled. He looked down and kissed Gabriella's lips. Gabriella pulled away slowly and wiped the tears that were running down her face.

"Is she healthy?" Gabriella asked.

Dr. Fields nodded.

"From what I can see. Let me go print these pictures for you and I will be back, okay?" Dr. Fields said.

The couple nodded. Dr. Fields left the room. Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Are you happy?" Troy asked.

"So happy. A baby girl, Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Are you happy?" Gabriella asked.

"I would happy with either. But my main thing is if you and she are healthy" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields came back into the room. She did her routine exam and the couple left the office. Troy and Gabriella walked to their cars with their fingers entwined.

"Come home soon" Gabriella said softly.

"I will" Troy said.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy. Troy kissed Gabriella's lips. He cupped Gabriella's cheek in his hand.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

Troy watched Gabriella get into her car and drive away. He smiled. A couple hours later, Troy walked into the house and went into the living room and smiled when he saw Gabriella sleeping on the couch with Patrick on her chest, who was also sleeping. Troy walked over to them and carefully picked Patrick up.

"Dada" Patrick said sleepily.

"Hey, do you want to go to nap in your bed or do you want to stay with mommy?" Troy asked.

Patrick just pointed to the stairs.

"Okay" Troy said.

Troy carried his son upstairs and placed him in his crib.

"Have a good nap, Pat. I love you" Troy said.

Troy closed the door until there was only a crack showing. He walked downstairs and went back to Gabriella. Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly.

"Mm. Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. Gabriella opened her eyes slightly and then looked around the room.

"Where's Pat?" Gabriella asked sitting up.

"Hey, hey, hey. Relax. He's upstairs asleep. I got home and saw you guys both sleeping and brought him upstairs" Troy said.

"I was reading him a book. We must have fallen asleep" Gabriella said.

"Oh" Troy said.

"Did you get all your stuff done?" Gabriella asked placing her hand on her bump.

"Yeah. When do you want to tell my parents and your mom?" Troy asked.

"I don't think I want to tell my mom" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella sympathetically.

"Whether you do or you don't, I'll back you one hundred percent" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"I just don't think I can handle it. I also don't need the stress" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"You don't need the stress. But, we are going to tell my parents?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"I want to tell them" Gabriella said.

"When do you want to do it?" Troy asked.

"Do you want to go over there later today?" Gabriella asked.

"Sure" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. A couple weeks later, Troy came home and smiled when he saw Gabriella moving stuff around one of the bedrooms.

"Do you need some help?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked up and nodded.

"Can you move that mirror into our room?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah" Troy said.

Troy picked up the mirror and moved it to their bedroom. The couple slowly moved everything out of the room that would be their baby girl's. That night, the phone rang. Troy picked it up.

"Hello?" Troy answered.

"Hi Troy" Maria said.

"Hi Maria, what's going on?" Troy asked.

"Nothing much. Is Gabi around?" Maria asked.

"She is. But, Maria-" Troy started but was then interrupted.

"You aren't going to let me talk to her because you don't want her to get stressed out" Maria finished.

Troy rolled his eyes.

"You took the words right out of my mouth" Troy said.

Gabriella poked her head into the living room where Troy was talking to her mother. Troy looked at her sympathetically and motioned for her to come sit down next to him. Gabriella walked over to Troy and sat down next to him. She rested her head against Troy's shoulder.

"Are we going to be like this again?" Maria asked.

Troy closed his eyes and licked his lips. Gabriella rubbed his arm knowing he was getting upset.

"Maria, Gabriella maybe your daughter but she is my wife. We have a son and she has a lot going on right now. She doesn't need the stress" Troy said looking at Gabriella.

"Troy, I didn't have a choice" Maria said.

"You didn't have a choice to move across the country?" Troy asked.

Gabriella sighed. She unwrapped herself from Troy and walked upstairs to their bedroom and closed the door. Troy knew that she was upset. He rubbed his face. Ten minutes later, Troy walked upstairs to their bedroom and knocked on the door.

"Brie" Troy said.

"I want to be alone" Gabriella said.

"Baby, I-" Troy started.

"I'm not mad at you. I just need to be alone" Gabriella said.

"Okay sweetheart. I'm sorry that you had to hear all of that" Troy said.

"Can you just leave me alone for a while please?" Gabriella asked as her voice cracked.

"Yeah" Troy said.

Troy went back downstairs and sighed. An hour later, Gabriella went downstairs into the kitchen. Troy saw and chose to just let Gabriella do her own thing for the time being. He knew that she was hurting. Gabriella walked into the living room after getting a bottle of water and snuggled into Troy's chest. Troy heard Gabriella start to cry and kissed her head softly.

"Why is she doing this?" Gabriella asked breathlessly.

"I don't know baby. I'm sorry that you had to hear all of that" Troy said.

Gabriella shook her head.

"You did it to protect me" Gabriella said.

Troy's heart broke. He had never seen Gabriella so hurt in his whole life.

"This is why I didn't want to tell her about the baby" Gabriella said.

"I almost let it slip" Troy said truthfully.

"She had a choice. I wasn't the choice she made. When I found out I was pregnant with Pat, it was hard. But we adjusted to it. She made a choice and didn't care how it made me feel or how I adjusted to that change" Gabriella said.

"Is there anything I can do?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy sympathetically. She knew that Troy wanted to help. But there was nothing that could take the pain away.

"Don't leave me, Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy shook his head.

"Never. I will never ever leave you. You got my word on that" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Come here, sweetheart" Troy said.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy. Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek.

"I'm sorry for pushing you away earlier-" Gabriella started.

"Gabriella, you are hurting. I know that when you feel like talking you will. Don't apologize baby" Troy said.

The couple laid in each other's arms in silence for a couple minutes.

"Why don't you go back to bed?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Come with me" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Come on baby, let's go" Troy said.

Troy helped Gabriella to a standing position and the couple went upstairs and got into bed. A couple weeks later, Gabriella was four and a half months pregnant and emotional. One night, after putting Patrick to bed, Gabriella walked into the kitchen where Troy was making a snack and wrapped her arms around him.

"Is he down?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. She kissed Troy's shoulder. Troy looked at Gabriella.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

"A little emotional, but I'm fine" Gabriella said.

Troy turned away from his snack and leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips softly. Troy kissed her back but was interrupted by the phone ringing. The couple sighed and pulled away. Gabriella looked at her phone and handed it to Troy.

"Your mom?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

Troy sighed. He hit ignore on Gabriella's phone and put it down.

"Now that all the interruptions are done, I would like to kiss my very beautiful wife" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips softly. Gabriella kissed him back and wrapped her arms around him. Troy pulled away slowly and rested his forehead against Gabriella's.

"You don't want to" Gabriella confirmed the unsaid message.

"It's not that I don't want to, Brie. Because I do. You are vulnerable and I don't want to take advantage of you while all this stuff with your mom is going on. It's not that I'm not attracted to you or anything because I am" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Gabriella" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"I love you very much" Troy said.

"I know. I love you too" Gabriella said.

A couple months went by, Gabriella was six months pregnant. She had her six-month check-up with Dr. Fields. Dr. Fields was doing an ultrasound and was pointing out all their daughter's features. She then stopped and looked at the monitor.

"Fields, what is it?" Troy asked.

"Gabriella, why don't you get dressed and we will talk okay?" Dr. Fields said.

"Is there something wrong?" Gabriella asked worriedly.

"Get dressed first and then we will talk, okay?" Dr. Fields repeated.

Gabriella nodded. Dr. Fields left the room. Gabriella got dressed and the couple went into Dr. Fields office and sat down in two chairs that were in front of her desk.

"What's going on?" Gabriella asked.

"I saw something on the ultrasound that concerned me. Your baby's heart is having trouble pumping blood to her lungs-" Dr. Fields started.

"Pulmonary Valve Stenosis" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy with tears in her eyes. Troy looked at Gabriella sympathetically.

"Sorry. I just knew what she was talking about" Troy said.

"So, what do we do?" Gabriella asked.

"We have to monitor. She may need surgery in the future. It's good that we caught it early. I'm going to recommend a cardiologist for you. The cardiologist will help monitor in addition to myself. I know you are scared, Gabi. I understand. We just got to watch it. That's all we can do right now" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple left the office. Gabriella was silent on the way home. Troy and Gabriella walked into their house.

"Brie?" Troy called.

"Yeah" Gabriella said softly.

"Do you want to talk about it, baby?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Is it something that I did?" Gabriella cried.

"No sweetheart. Her heart is just getting overworked. There was nothing you could have done to prevent it. It just happened" Troy said.

"I'm sorry" Gabriella said breathlessly.

Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella and kissed her head.

"This is not your fault" Troy said.

"I'm scared" Gabriella said.

"I know. I am too. I have seen it a couple of times and I'm still scared. But, the only thing we can do is monitor it and make sure that it's not getting worse" Troy said.

Gabriella put her hand on her bump and tears ran down her face.

"Is it because mom left and I got stressed out?" Gabriella asked.

"No. She's going to be okay, Brie. I promise" Troy said.

"I think I'm going to take a nap" Gabriella said quietly.

"Okay" Troy said.

Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"I love you too. Sleep well" Troy said.

Gabriella walked upstairs and took a nap. Troy got onto his computer and started doing research on his unborn daughter's heart condition. He knew that he had to be strong for Gabriella.


	20. My Heart Beats For Love

A couple days later, Troy came home from work and smiled when he saw Patrick standing with a toy in his hand.

"Hey buddy, how's mommy doing?" Troy asked the almost two-year old.

"Dada" Patrick said.

Gabriella had been a little emotional since they found out about their unborn daughter's condition.

"Brie?" Troy called.

"In the kitchen" Gabriella said.

Troy walked into the kitchen and smiled when he saw Gabriella wearing his sweats and t-shirt. Her hair was up in a messy bun. Troy walked over to Gabriella and kissed her cheek.

"How are you feeling today, baby?" Troy asked.

"I've been researching" Gabriella said.

"Yeah. Me too" Troy said.

"I'm just frustrated. What if something happens or there is a complication?" Gabriella asked.

"I know. She's strong. Dr. Fields knows what she saw. I think we need to make an appointment with that cardiologist and have her assess and get her opinion on it. That's a good start" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I can make an appointment and get the day off" Troy said.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy. Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek.

"I love you Gabriella" Troy said.

"I love you too Troy" Gabriella said.

"I'll call and get an appointment" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded against Troy's chest.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

Troy put his finger under Gabriella's chin and brought it up to his face. He leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips. A week later, the couple were sitting in the cardiologist that Dr. Fields recommended office. Gabriella wiped her silent tears away that didn't go unnoticed by Troy.

"Baby, we want to do what's best for her right?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said quietly.

"We have to let her help us do that. I know you are scared" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"It's just an emotional rollercoaster and on top of all of that, I'm six months pregnant" Gabriella said.

The cardiologist came in. An hour and a half later, Troy and Gabriella walked out of the office. They got into the car. Troy took a deep breath and released it. Gabriella sniffled.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Are you okay?" Gabriella asked.

Troy shook his head.

"What do we do now?" Gabriella asked.

"We wait. We have to do what she said" Troy said.

"She will be in contact with Dr. Fields?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded.

"She's one of the best, Brie" Troy said.

"I know. I am not doubting her" Gabriella said.

"When I talked to her about it before she met you, she told me that she's glad that Fields saw it early" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I've worked under her supervision for a while and know how she runs things" Troy said.

"You don't have to try and convince me" Gabriella said quietly.

There was a moment of silence.

"Sorry" Gabriella said realizing her tone.

"It's okay sweetheart" Troy said.

"Can we go home?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded. The couple drove home. Once they put Patrick down for his nap, Troy looked at Gabriella.

"We need to tell mom and dad" Troy said.

"I know. I just don't want to be crying like this when we do" Gabriella said wiping her eyes.

"When do you want to tell them?" Troy asked.

"We should tell them as soon as possible. Just in case something happens" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I'll call them and we can go over there" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. A couple hours later, the couple and Patrick were sitting at the Bolton's.

"What did you need to talk to us about guys?" Jack asked.

Troy looked at Gabriella, who looked at him.

"So, Brie went for her six-month check-up with Dr. Fields, who saw something on the ultrasound. She told us that the baby has Pulmonary Valve Stenosis and referred us to a cardiologist. The cardiologist talked to us about how we could maintain it and keep it so it doesn't bother the baby later on" Troy said.

Lucille had tears in her eyes.

"Is the baby going to be okay?" Lucille asked.

"She may need surgery later on. We have monitor it and she needs to have check-ups often" Gabriella said.

"And how are you both doing?" Jack asked.

Gabriella's eyes filled with tears. Troy saw this and rubbed her back soothingly.

"We want to do what's best for her. But it's scary to think about" Gabriella said shakily.

"We're here if you both need anything" Lucille said.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"Have you told Maria?" Jack asked.

Troy shook his head.

"She doesn't know about the baby either" Troy said.

Lucille looked at Jack.

"Has there been fighting?" Lucille asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"It's fine. I have to go to the bathroom. She's pressing on my bladder" Gabriella said.

Gabriella left the room. Lucille looked at Troy.

"I feel helpless. I want to tell her that everything's going to be okay. But we won't know until we can see what the situation is" Troy said.

"Just be there, Troy. That's all you can do" Jack said.

"Yeah I know" Troy said.

That night, Troy was sitting on the step that led to their backyard. He heard the door open in back of him.

"Troy, you okay?" Gabriella asked.

Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled.

"Yeah, just thinking" Troy said.

Gabriella sat down next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Do you think it's going to be harder when she's actually here?" Gabriella asked.

"I don't know. It depends on how severe the issues are" Troy said.

"Troy?" Gabriella called.

"Hmm?" Troy asked.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to be the strong one just because you know what's going on. I know you are scared too" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"I have to be. For you. For our family" Troy said.

"I don't want you to feel like you can't help her either because it's her heart that is the problem" Gabriella said.

"I am seeing it from both sides. But, the dad side is overpowering the doctor side. I'm not really thinking of treatments or anything like that right now" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's temple. Gabriella smiled slightly. She took Troy's hand and placed it on her bump. Troy felt a kick come in contact with his hand and smiled.

"Hey baby girl. Daddy's here. We are going to make sure that you are taken care of" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips. Gabriella pulled away but rested her forehead against Troy's.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"Let's get you inside" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple went into the house. A couple days later, the phone rang. Gabriella looked at the caller ID and saw that it was her mom. She sighed. Troy was at the hospital, working. Gabriella bit her lip and rolled her eyes.

"Hello?" Gabriella asked answering the phone.

"Gabi, why haven't you been answering my calls?" Maria asked.

"I've been busy mom" Gabriella said.

"Lucille called me" Maria said.

"What did she say?" Gabriella asked.

"She told me that you are six months pregnant and the baby has a heart problem. Gabriella, why didn't you tell me?" Maria asked.

Gabriella closed her eyes and took a deep breath and released it.

"It's not that I didn't want to tell you. When I was pregnant with Pat, you had left and I was an emotional wreck. I was in and out of the hospital. I didn't want that stress" Gabriella said truthfully.

"You should have told me. Six months you have been hiding it from me" Maria said.

Tears started running down Gabriella's cheeks. She couldn't even speak. Gabriella hung up on her mother and cried. She got Patrick ready for the day and left the house. Gabriella drove to the Bolton home and parked her car. She got Patrick out of the car and walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. Lucille opened the door.

"Gabi, what happened?" Lucille asked taking Patrick out of her arms.

All Gabriella could do was cry. Lucille brought Gabriella into the house. The two women went into the living room.

"Why did you tell my mother?" Gabriella cried.

"Honey, I was only trying to help" Lucille said.

"Now, she's mad that I didn't tell her" Gabriella said.

"Gabriella, I didn't mean to cause any harm. I thought it would be easier if I told her and it will would keep you out of equation so that you wouldn't get stressed out. I was trying to help" Lucille said.

Gabriella wiped her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Gabi" Lucille said.

"Please don't give her any more information. I don't want to get hurt again" Gabriella said.

Lucille nodded. Gabriella and Patrick left the Bolton home and drove home. Gabriella saw that Troy's car was in the driveway and sighed. She got out of the car and got Patrick out and set him on her hip. Gabriella walked into the house and Troy, who was smiling, looked at her and his smile disappeared.

"Brie, what happened?" Troy asked taking Patrick out of Gabriella's arms and seeing the tears that were running down her face.

"Mom called and I answered it. Your mom told her about the baby having Pulmonary Valve Stenosis. I went over there and got mad at her" Gabriella said.

Troy took a deep breath and released it.

"What did your mom say?" Troy asked calmly.

"She asked me why I didn't tell her I was pregnant and that the baby had a heart problem" Gabriella said.

"Did you explain why?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Did my mom apologize?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"I'm sorry that happened" Troy said.

"Maybe it was wrong for me to have kept it private" Gabriella said.

"You were trying to protect yourself, Brie. It was wrong for my mom to have gone and did that. You trusted her with information and she abused it. We have a right to keep it to ourselves. My mom didn't have a right to tell her. I'm going to have a talk with her" Troy said.

"She apologized, Troy" Gabriella said.

"She apologized to you. Not to me. I'm more strict than you are. I'm not going to let it slide. She doesn't know what it's been like for you and for us" Troy said.

Gabriella wiped her eyes.

"Why don't you go lay down? I'll put him down for his nap and go over there" Troy said.

"Don't yell at her, Troy. She was trying to help" Gabriella said putting her hand on her bump.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"Let me handle my mom. You go lay down" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Gabriella" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"Dada" Patrick cooed.

The couple smiled.

"Come on buddy. Let's try and make mommy feel a little better by showing her what we've been practicing" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy confused but her mouth fell open when she saw Patrick pulled himself up using Troy's jeans. Once Patrick gained his balance he walked carefully to Gabriella, who kneeled down and opened her arms. Patrick fell into Gabriella's arms once he reached her.

"Good job, baby" Gabriella lifting her son up and kissing his cheek.

"Go rest" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She kissed Patrick one last time and placed him back on the ground. Gabriella walked upstairs. Troy picked Patrick up and followed her. He went into Patrick's room and made sure his diaper didn't need to be changed. He then placed his son into his crib.

"Night night, Pat. I love you" Troy said.

Troy closed the door so only a crack was showing. He then went to check on Gabriella. Troy walked into their bedroom.

"I'm going to my parents' house" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I'll be back soon" Troy said walking over to Gabriella and kissing her lips.

"Don't be too harsh on her" Gabriella said.

"I'll try" Troy said.

Troy left the house and drove to his parents' house. He walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. Jack opened the door.

"Hey Troy. How's Gabi feeling?" Jack asked.

"Fine. Where's mom?" Troy asked.

"Upstairs" Jack said.

Troy walked upstairs and went into the master bedroom.

"Mom" Troy said.

Lucille looked at Troy and smiled.

"Hey" Lucille said.

"Why did you talk to Maria about the baby's heart condition without talking to us first and asking if it was okay?" Troy asked calmly.

"Troy, I was trying to help" Lucille said.

"You telling Maria caused stress. She called Gabriella and was furious. Gabriella is now stressed out. That whole situation could have been avoided if you had just talked to us and asked. We didn't want Maria to know for a reason. To protect Gabriella" Troy explained.

"Troy, I'm sorry and I feel bad. I apologized to Gabriella" Lucille said.

"Please keep the baby's condition between you, dad, and us" Troy said.

Lucille nodded. Troy left his parents' house and drove home. He walked into the house and smiled when he saw Gabriella in the kitchen eating a snack.

"What did she say?" Gabriella asked.

"She apologized again. I told her to keep this whole thing between us" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella.

"I'm sorry for being a little harsh. I just don't want anything that happened last time to happen. The fact that my mom told your mom about the baby's heart made me really mad because you trust her more than your own mother. I didn't want what is going on with your mom to happen with mine" Troy said.

"It won't. But thank you for talking to her. I can see why she told my mom. She thought that maybe telling her that the baby had a heart condition would make her stay here. I guess it did the opposite" Gabriella said.

Troy smoothed Gabriella's hair back and smiled sympathetically.

"Is there anything you need me to do?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"I just want what's happening with my mom to stay between us" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Okay sweetheart" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"You feeling okay?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

A couple weeks later, Gabriella had an appointment with Dr. Fields and the cardiologist and a colleague of Troy's, Dr. Brooke. Gabriella was already in an exam room. There was a knock on the door and Troy poked his head in.

"Hey, I just saw Dr. Brooke passing by. She said she would be in soon" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy walked over to Gabriella and kissed her lips.

"It's okay to be nervous, baby" Troy said.

"I know. It's just my due date is getting closer and I can't help but think about what's going to happen" Gabriella said.

"I know. Dr. Fields and Dr. Brooke are going to do what they feel is best for you and our baby girl. Dr. Brooke helped train me. She knows what she's doing" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Fields and Dr. Brooke came into the room.

"Hi guys" Dr. Fields said.

"Hi" Gabriella and Troy said simultaneously.

"How are you feeling, Gabi?" Dr. Fields asked.

"Nervous and anxious" Gabriella said.

Troy put his hand on top of Gabriella's.

"Gabriella, Dr. Fields and I are going to do our best to give you a healthy baby. I know you both are probably still in shock" Dr. Brooke said.

The couple nodded.

"Let's get started, okay?" Dr. Fields said.

Dr. Fields conducted an ultrasound and an exam. Gabriella changed back into her clothes and waited for her doctors to come back in.

"You doing okay?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"You can ask them to stop at any time, baby. They know you are still trying to grasp everything" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The doctors came back in.

"Okay, so you are seven months right?" Dr. Fields said.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Dr. Brooke and I have discussed it and we think that as soon as the baby is born and strong enough, we will do surgery" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella looked at Troy, who looked at her.

"She will be strong enough to handle it?" Gabriella asked.

"We are going to wait a couple weeks to make sure, but yes" Dr. Brooke said.

Gabriella looked at Troy. Troy looked at Gabriella.

"If everything goes as planned and there aren't any complications during the next three months and after she's born, she will be okay for surgery" Troy explained.

Gabriella nodded.

"She can't have like a heart attack can she?" Gabriella asked.

Troy and Dr. Brooke shook their heads.

"She will be monitored closely. If there are signs that she is in distress, we will control the situation" Dr. Brooke said.

"And I can still have her-" Gabriella started.

"Completely the same way. That's something we don't have to worry about unless her heart rate skyrockets or drops" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella placed both hands on her bump.

"Do you have any more questions, Gabriella?" Dr. Fields asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"I don't think so. Troy?" Gabriella asked.

"No. I think I'm good" Troy said.

"Alright, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to call" Dr. Brooke said.

The couple nodded. The doctors left the room. Troy looked at Gabriella.

"How do you feel baby?" Troy asked.

"Scared. But, I think that's normal" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"You are in good hands. They are here to help. I've seen Dr. Brooke handle cases that were much worse" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath in and released it.

"You ready to go home?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

The couple left the office. That night, Troy was working on paperwork in the kitchen. Gabriella walked into the kitchen. Troy looked up and saw Gabriella with tears running down her face.

"Hey, what's wrong Brie?" Troy asked.

"I'm scared" Gabriella said.

Troy put down everything he was working on and stood up. He walked over to Gabriella and wrapped his arms around her. Gabriella cried into Troy's chest. Troy rubbed Gabriella's back.

"Look at me, sweetheart" Troy said softly.

Gabriella looked at her husband with tears running down her face.

"Dr. Fields and Dr. Brooke are going to do everything they can to ensure that the baby is healthy and on track. I know it's scary and I know that your due date is only a month and a half away. You have to trust me" Troy said.

"I do trust you. But you are different than Dr. Fields and Dr. Brooke" Gabriella said.

"Yeah. But, I can't be the one to operate on our daughter. It's unethical. I trust them because I know their work and have seen successful outcomes" Troy explained.

Gabriella sighed.

"You have to trust them" Troy said softly.

"You can't even be in there when-" Gabriella started.

"I can watch with other attending surgeons and residents but I want to be with you" Troy said.

"It's just hard to think about" Gabriella said.

"I know it is. But, you aren't going through it alone" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"Thanks Troy" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He put his hand on her cheek.

"Everything is going to be fine. I promise" Troy said.


	21. Doctor vs Parent

It had been a couple weeks since Gabriella had her first appointment with both Dr. Fields and Dr. Brooke. She was eight months pregnant and trying to get everything ready before their daughter came. Gabriella hadn't spoken to Lucille since their big argument about her telling Maria about the baby's heart problem. She didn't want to get stressed out during the last few weeks of her pregnancy. Troy had been trying to help Gabriella out in any way that he could. Sometimes he would come home and find her crying and worrying about their daughter's future. Gabriella had also become very attached to Troy and didn't want him to leave to go to work. Troy knew that it had to do with everything that was going on and did his best to be there when she needed him. Patrick could now walk by himself from room to room. He would need help walking down the stairs but other than that, he was completely mobile.

"Brie?" Troy called walking into the house.

"Bedroom" Gabriella called back.

Troy walked upstairs and into the bedroom where he saw Patrick sitting on their bed surrounded by pillows and a suitcase with clothes piled in it. He also saw baby name books scattered all over the floor with pieces of paper with Gabriella's neat handwriting on it.

"What are we doing?" Troy asked.

"Can you bring the suitcase downstairs? It's ready to go" Gabriella said.

"This is your hospital bag?" Troy confirmed.

Gabriella nodded.

"I have clothes in there for you as well" Gabriella said.

"Okay. What's the rest of this stuff?" Troy asked.

"We need to start figuring out her name. We are running out of time" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He walked over to Gabriella and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. Troy kissed Gabriella's forehead.

"Relax. We will get it done. Let me go bring the suitcase downstairs" Troy said.

Troy picked up Gabriella's suitcase and brought it downstairs. He then walked back upstairs and into the bedroom.

"What's next?" Troy asked.

"What do you think of these names?" Gabriella asked handing Troy the pieces of paper that he had seen earlier.

Troy sat down on their bed next to his son, who climbed into his lap. He looked at the piece of paper.

"I like Olivia" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Me too" Gabriella said.

Troy looked up at Gabriella.

"So do you want to name her that or something else?" Troy asked.

"I want to name her Olivia" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Patrick.

"What about you? Do you want that to be your sister's name?" Troy asked his son.

"Daddy" Patrick said.

Troy smiled.

"It's a yes or no question, Pat. This is serious" Troy said jokingly.

Gabriella giggled.

"Yay" Patrick said.

"I'm taking that as a yes" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled and rolled her eyes playfully.

"Yes, make the eighteen-month-old decide what his sister's name should be" Gabriella joked.

Troy smiled. He tickled Patrick and watched him laugh. Later that night, Troy climbed into bed and Gabriella snuggled as close as she could to Troy.

"Is he asleep?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded.

"He was fighting it but then passed out" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"He's grown up so much" Gabriella said.

"Yeah, but he's still a baby" Troy said.

Gabriella closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Brie?" Troy called.

"Wait a minute" Gabriella said.

A minute passed by in silence. Troy looked at Gabriella, who finally opened her eyes.

"Was that a contraction?" Troy asked.

"I think so" Gabriella said placing her hand on her bump.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Have you been having any of those before now?" Troy asked.

"No. That was the first time" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Troy wrapped his arm around Gabriella and sighed.

"You sure you are okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded against Troy's chest.

"She's got a few more weeks to stay in here" Gabriella said placing her hand on her bump.

Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek.

"Get some sleep okay? If you have another one-" Troy started.

"I'll wake you up" Gabriella finished.

Troy smiled slightly.

"Thanks" Troy said.

Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips. A couple of days later, Troy came home to Gabriella with her hand on her back looking at their daughter's room. He walked over to her and placed his hand on top of Gabriella's.

"Is your back hurting?" Troy asked.

"A little. But it's not too bad" Gabriella said.

"What do you need me to move in here?" Troy asked.

"I was thinking of moving the changing table over a little bit" Gabriella said.

"And what else?" Troy asked knowing there was more.

"There are some of Pat's newborn blankets in the cabinet. I want to put those in here too" Gabriella said.

"That's all?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. Troy moved the changing table to where Gabriella wanted it. He then found Patrick's blankets that Gabriella was talking about and brought them into their daughter's room.

"Done" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"Thank you baby" Gabriella said with her hand on her back.

"How's your back?" Troy asked.

"Hurts. But I'm fine" Gabriella said.

"Maybe you need to rest for a while" Troy said.

"Troy" Gabriella said.

"Brie, I'm trying to help" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"Go take a nap. I'll finish in here, okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She walked over to Troy and kissed his lips.

"Let me know if the pain gets worse" Troy said.

"I know" Gabriella said.

Troy watched Gabriella walk away. He looked at his daughter's room and smiled.

"A couple more weeks" Troy said to himself.

That night, the doorbell rang. Troy walked to the front door and opened it, revealing his mother.

"Hi Troy" Lucille said.

"Hi mom" Troy said.

"Are you still mad at me?" Lucille asked.

"No" Troy said.

"Is Gabi home?" Lucille asked.

"She's taking a bath right now. Her back hurts" Troy said.

"I'd like to talk to her if you'll let me" Lucille said.

Troy opened the door a little wider and let Lucille walk into the house. They went into the living room and sat down.

"Patrick is asleep" Lucille said.

Troy nodded.

"He just went down. Let me go see if Brie is almost done" Troy said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Troy walked upstairs and into the bedroom. He knocked on the bathroom door.

"Sweetheart, are you almost done?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. You can come in" Gabriella said.

Troy poked his head in and smiled when he saw Gabriella trying to wrap herself in a towel.

"Need some help?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"My mom is downstairs. I think she wants to talk to you" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I'll be down in a couple minutes" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

A couple minutes later, the couple walked downstairs together.

"Hi mom" Gabriella said.

Lucille smiled.

"Hi Gabi" Lucille said.

Lucille hugged Gabriella.

"How are you feeling?" Lucille asked.

"Tired and achy all the time" Gabriella said.

Lucille smiled sympathetically.

"What's up?" Gabriella asked.

"I came over because I felt like I needed to talk to you face-to-face about what happened with your mom" Lucille said.

Gabriella looked at Troy, who looked at her. She looked at Lucille and nodded.

"I feel that we have to also. Troy, would you mind?" Gabriella asked.

"No. I'm going to check on Pat" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly. Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek and walked upstairs. The two women sat down.

"Gabi, I never meant to hurt you the way that I did. I was trying to help" Lucille said.

"I know. It's just everyone doesn't understand what's going on between my mom, Troy, and I. When I was pregnant with Pat, it was a disaster. I was getting stressed out because of all the stuff that was going on. I didn't want to tell her because I wanted to avoid all of that. Now that this baby has a heart problem, there is already stress. Then if my mom is added to that mix, it's a huge problem. That's why I got so upset that you told her, mom" Gabriella explained.

"I guess I didn't know the whole story. I didn't think she would react the way she did, Gabi. I'm sorry that I added flames to the fire" Lucille said.

"Now, I don't talk to her when she calls. Troy does because he knows that it's better that way. He's not afraid to say no to her" Gabriella said.

Lucille nodded.

"Is there anything I can do?" Lucille asked.

"No. I just don't want anyone talking to her about the baby's heart problem. I get stressed out talking it about it. I want things to be calm for the last couple weeks of my pregnancy" Gabriella said.

"I get it. Again, I'm sorry about doing that. I hope you can forgive me" Lucille said.

Gabriella smiled slightly and nodded. Lucille hugged Gabriella, who hugged her back.

"I love you, Gabi" Lucille said.

"I love you too mom" Lucille said.

"Mommy" Patrick said.

Gabriella smiled and pulled away from Lucille.

"Is it safe to come down here now?" Troy asked looking down at Patrick, who was holding onto his hand.

Gabriella nodded. Troy and Patrick walked down the remaining steps. Troy let go of Patrick's hand and watched him walk over to his mother. Gabriella picked Patrick up and set him on her lap.

"Did you say hi to mama?" Gabriella asked her son.

Patrick wrapped his arm around Gabriella and buried his face into her neck.

"He's a little shy today" Gabriella said.

Troy and Lucille smiled. The couple and Lucille talked for a little while longer. An hour later, Gabriella walked upstairs and went into the bedroom to lie down. Troy knocked on the bedroom door just when Gabriella was about to fall asleep.

"I'm going to go to Chad's. I'm taking Pat with me, okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded sleepily. Troy walked over to the bed and leaned down and kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"Call me if you need me" Troy said.

"Okay. Love you" Gabriella said tiredly.

"Love you" Troy said.

Troy and Patrick left the house. Gabriella took a two-hour nap. After her much needed nap, Gabriella went downstairs to make a snack for herself.

"What do we want to eat, baby girl?" Gabriella asked looking into the refrigerator.

Gabriella smiled when she felt a kick.

"Fruit it is. You are just like your daddy. Always healthy" Gabriella said pulling out a bag of grapes.

Gabriella took her snack upstairs and picked up her computer. She started researching Olivia's heart condition again. Gabriella wanted to be prepared for everything. She was so busy researching and taking notes that she lost track of time and didn't hear Troy and Patrick come into the house.

"Brie, are you in pain?" Troy asked.

Gabriella was pulled out of her thoughts and gasped.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Are you in pain? You are crying" Troy said.

Gabriella shook her head.

"I was doing some research and I guess I was so focused on it that I started crying. I didn't even realize it" Gabriella said wiping her eyes.

"You're not in pain?" Troy asked.

"No" Gabriella said.

"What are you looking at?" Troy asked sitting next to Gabriella on the bed.

"I just wanted to make sure that I didn't miss anything. The treatment, surgery, complications, and risks. That sort of thing" Gabriella said.

"Why did you decide to do this when you were home alone? I would be more than happy to do some of this with you, Brie" Troy said.

"I didn't want to cry about it in front of you anymore. It's like an everyday occurrence. I'm a burden-" Gabriella started.

"Gabriella Bolton, you are not a burden. Our daughter has a heart condition. It's scary. Brie, if you want to talk about it or you want to ask questions, you can always talk to me. You are eight months pregnant. I think if you weren't emotional, then something must be wrong" Troy said.

Gabriella sniffled.

"Come here" Troy said.

Gabriella put her laptop to the side and snuggled into Troy's chest.

"I don't want you researching things by yourself, okay? Especially when I'm not home. Instead, I want you to talk to me" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Sorry" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"I know that you feel like you are alone because I am a cardiologist and see this type of stuff all the time. But, I've only seen the doctor side of it. I've never seen the patient side. I'm going through it blind. Knowing what I do, it actually scares me more because I know how the procedures go and what can happen" Troy said truthfully.

Gabriella's eyes filled with tears. She had never seen Troy get so emotional about something in her whole life.

"That's why I want to be here when you do that, babe" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I think you have had enough researching for today" Troy said.

Troy closed Gabriella's laptop.

"I'm going to put Pat down" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Gabriella got up and picked Patrick up and set him on her hip.

"Go say night night to daddy" Gabriella said walking over to Troy.

Troy smiled. He stood up and kissed Patrick's head.

"Night night" Patrick said.

"Night night, buddy. I love you" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Come on, let's go" Gabriella said.

Gabriella walked out of the room. Ten minutes later, Gabriella walked back into the bedroom. She climbed into bed.

"Ooh" Gabriella groaned as she put her hand on her bump.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

"I think she just kicked too hard" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. Fifteen minutes later, Gabriella was in the bathroom.

"Troy?" Gabriella called from inside the bathroom.

Troy walked to the bathroom.

"What's wrong, Brie?" Troy asked.

"I think I'm having contractions" Gabriella said shakily.

"Baby, can I come in?" Troy asked gently.

Gabriella opened the door. Troy looked at Gabriella, who was standing with her hand on the sink.

"Come on sweetie" Troy said.

Troy helped Gabriella get back into bed.

"Did they stop?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"Do you think that hard kick earlier was one too?" Troy asked.

"Possibly" Gabriella said.

"I'm going to call Fields okay? Just as a precaution" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's forehead softly.

"Try and go back to sleep" Troy said.

Troy got off the bed. He grabbed his phone and walked downstairs. Troy called Dr. Fields and explained the situation. Ten minutes later, Troy walked upstairs and back into the bedroom.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Nauseous" Gabriella said.

"Don't panic, Brie. Just relax. She said that it could be Braxton-Hicks" Troy said.

"I just am scared with her having-" Gabriella started.

"I know. Just relax for right now" Troy said.

The couple decided to try and get some sleep and figure everything out in the morning. Troy woke up in the middle of the night to Gabriella moaning in her sleep. He turned over and shook Gabriella to wake her up. Gabriella opened her eyes.

"We need to call mom and dad" Gabriella said.

"Alright baby" Troy said.

Troy got out of bed and called his parents and let them know what was going on. Twenty minutes later, Jack arrived at the house.

"Keep us updated on what's going on" Jack said.

Troy nodded. Jack and Troy helped Gabriella get into the car. Troy drove to the hospital. An hour and a half later, Gabriella was in a hospital room. Troy was trying to find out where Dr. Fields was. Nicole was passing by but stopped and backtracked.

"Gabriella?" Nicole called.

Gabriella put on a brave face.

"Where's Troy?" Nicole asked.

"He's trying to find out where Dr. Fields is" Gabriella said.

"Are you in labor?" Nicole asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Just having a lot of contractions. I thought it was a good idea to come in and get checked out" Gabriella explained.

"I see. I'm going to go and try to get Troy to stop looking for Dr. Fields. That's my job" Nicole said.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

Five minutes later, Troy came into the room.

"Sorry for leaving" Troy said.

"You're worried. It's okay, Troy" Gabriella said.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"I want to be back in our bed" Gabriella said.

"You will be soon" Troy said.

Dr. Fields and Dr. Brooks knocked on the door.

"Hi guys. What's going on?" Dr. Fields asked.

"A lot of contractions. I didn't know if something was wrong with her or not" Gabriella said.

Dr. Fields and Dr. Brooks nodded.

"Well, let's take a look" Dr. Fields said.

Dr. Fields did an ultrasound and an exam. Dr. Brooks conducted her tests. After talking with each other, the two doctors came back into the room.

"So, I think I'm going to move your due date up a little bit. Her heart rate is kind of going up fast and then regulating. We need to keep a close eye on it" Dr. Fields said.

"How far up?" Troy asked.

Dr. Fields smiled.

"A week or two. She will be fine" Dr. Fields said.

"And then what happens now?" Gabriella asked.

"We monitor and make sure nothing out of the ordinary happens. We will then come back next week or the week after and induce you" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"She will be okay" Troy said.

"It's safe?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah. If it was a couple months ago, no" Troy said.

"Then after she's here, what will happen?" Gabriella asked.

"We will assess the situation. I'll run some tests and going off those results, we will figure out what's next" Dr. Brooks said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Alright, let's do it" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. Gabriella was discharged from the hospital. The couple drove home. Once they arrived home, Jack looked at the couple with his grandson in his arms.

"What happened?" Jack asked.

"The doctor moved Gabriella's due date up. She's going to be induced in a week or two" Troy said.

Jack took a deep breath and released it.

"How are you feeling about that?" Jack asked his daughter-in-law.

"I want to do what's best for her. I'm terrified. But, I want to keep her safe" Gabriella said.

Jack nodded.

"Let your mom and I know the day you guys go in, we will bring Patrick over to the house" Jack said.

The couple nodded.

"Are you going to tell Maria-" Jack started.

"No" Gabriella said quickly.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"We don't want her to cause any drama" Troy said.

Jack nodded. He put his hand on Gabriella's shoulder.

"Everything's going to be fine. She's a Bolton. We're strong" Jack said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Worse case scenario, Troy has to step in" Jack said.

"Actually, I can't do that" Troy said.

"He's family. It's against the ethical code for her to become his patient" Gabriella said.

"So then, who is going to be in charge?" Jack asked trying to figure out what was going to happen.

"One of my colleagues and the doctor that trained me will be on her case. She's one of the best. I trust her judgement and her work" Troy said.

"Well, we will see how everything plays out. I'm going to let you get some rest" Jack said kissing Gabriella's cheek.

Gabriella smiled.

"Thanks dad" Gabriella said.

"No problem. Call if you need anything" Jack said shaking Troy's hand.

"We will" Troy said.

Jack left the house. Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Why don't you go up and take a shower?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. A couple days later, Dr. Fields had sent a doctor's note ordering Gabriella to go on maternity leave early. Troy came home from work and smiled when he saw Gabriella and Patrick snuggled together under a blanket watching television.

"Hey baby. How are you feeling?" Troy asked kissing Gabriella's lips.

Gabriella looked at Troy, annoyed.

"I know you are upset, Brie. But she felt that this was best" Troy said.

"I had two contractions while you were gone" Gabriella said.

"Have you had any more?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"I don't want you to be mad at me. I want what's best for you and Olivia" Troy said.

Gabriella didn't make eye contact with Troy. Troy put his stuff down and went over to the couch and sat next to Gabriella.

"Come on Brie. Don't be mad at me" Troy said.

"You could have agreed with your wife and told Dr. Fields and Dr. Brooks no" Gabriella said.

"Gabriella, Dr. Fields showed me your chart. I may not be your cardiologist, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let things slide. I would have been lying to you and you wouldn't have liked that very much if something happened down the line. I am just as upset and frustrated as you are. But it's the safest option right now. I'm not sorry that I did what was right. I am sorry for making you mad, but you are just going to have to deal with it for the next week or so. After that, this won't even matter because she will be here" Troy explained.

Gabriella still refused to make eye contact with Troy. Troy sighed. He got up and walked upstairs. Troy knew that Gabriella needed some time to process what was going on. He changed into his gym clothes and walked downstairs.

"I'm going to Chad's" Troy said.

"Troy?" Gabriella called.

Troy walked into the living room and looked at his wife.

"I'm just scared, okay? It's not the easiest position to be in. When you have Dr. Fields, Dr. Brooks, and you telling me what to do, I feel like no one understands me and how I feel about it. You all understand what could happen medically. I don't" Gabriella said.

Troy looked down at the ground.

"I felt like it was three against one" Gabriella continued.

"I never meant for it be like that, Brie. I was just trying to show you that this was the best option" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"I thought that if you heard it from me, you would feel better about it. I didn't think that you would make it a three to one type of thing. I'm sorry that it turned out that way, baby. Dr. Fields, Dr. Brooks, and I have seen stuff like this. You are right, we do understand what's going on. When you have something wrong with your baby as a doctor, it's sometimes hard to separate the patient and doctor categories" Troy said.

"Can you just be on my side of the equation?" Gabriella asked.

Troy's face softened.

"Gabriella, I am on your side of the equation. But I am trying to explain to you what's going on. I'm her dad, but I also think like a doctor. Sometimes, it's hard to separate the two" Troy said.

Gabriella snuggled into Troy's arms.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

That night, the couple relaxed and watched a movie. The day had worn them out.


	22. The Game Plan

A week and a half later, Gabriella was sitting in Dr. Fields office. Troy had gone to his office to call out for the next couple of weeks. Gabriella was going to be admitted to the hospital so that she could be induced. An hour had gone by and a nurse with a wheelchair had come to take Gabriella to the labor and delivery floor.

"I want to wait for Troy" Gabriella said.

"I will page him and have him meet us at the hospital, Gabi" Dr. Fields said.

"No, I really need him to be here" Gabriella said.

Gabriella took her phone out and dialed Troy's number. He answered before the phone even rang.

"What's wrong, baby?" Troy asked.

"A nurse came with a wheelchair. They want to take me up to the hospital room but I told them that I'm not leaving here until you are here. Where are you?" Gabriella asked.

"Alright. I'm on my way, okay? Tell Dr. Fields that I'm coming" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

The couple hung up.

"He's on his way. He said to stay here until he gets here" Gabriella said.

Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Troy poked his head in.

"I'm ready. Sorry, I had to cancel appointments" Troy said.

The couple, nurse, and Dr. Fields went up to Gabriella's hospital room. Gabriella changed into a hospital gown and was lying in the hospital bed. Dr. Fields and the nurse hooked Gabriella up to machines that monitored the baby's heartbeat. Gabriella was also given medication to start labor.

"You are all set. Page the nurse when contractions start, okay?" Dr. Fields said.

The couple nodded. Dr. Fields and the nurse left the room.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

"Don't leave" Gabriella said.

"I won't. Don't worry about that" Troy said putting his hand on Gabriella's side.

A couple hours later, Gabriella was taking a nap. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Brooks poked her head in. Troy smiled.

"How's she doing?" Dr. Brooks whispered.

"She hasn't had any contractions yet" Troy whispered back.

Dr. Brooks looked at the monitor that showed activity in Gabriella and the baby's heart.

"Everything looks okay right now. I'll be back in a little bit. If you see anything, let me know" Dr. Brooks whispered.

"Thank you" Troy whispered.

Dr. Brooks patted Troy's shoulder and left the hospital room. An hour later, Gabriella had woken up.

"Troy?" Gabriella asked.

"Yes, babe?" Troy asked.

"When is everything going to start?" Gabriella asked.

"It takes a little time to get everything started. We've only been here for a couple hours. It's normal" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"I know that you want everything to go fast. So do I. But, we have to wait" Troy said.

"The anticipation is what is annoying" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Sleep while you can. When labor starts, you are going to want what you have now" Troy said.

"Sleep up here with me?" Gabriella asked.

"I wish I could, sweetheart. You are connected to a bunch of machines that I don't want to mess around with" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down. Troy smiled sympathetically. He walked closer to the bed and sat on the edge and leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"Still a little scared?" Troy asked.

"A little. But, it's better than what happened with Pat" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Get some sleep, okay? Let me know if you feel anything" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. A couple more hours had gone by, Troy had not left Gabriella's side. They had been in the hospital for almost six hours. Troy was on his laptop completing paperwork when Gabriella moaned in pain. He looked over at the bed, where Gabriella was buried in the sheets. Troy saw Gabriella move so her face wasn't covered and heard her moan again. He smiled. Troy got up and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Troy" Gabriella said softly.

"I'm here, honey. You okay?" Troy asked.

"I think that was a contraction. A real one" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Let's wait and see if another comes. If it does, then you are in labor" Troy said.

"I hope so" Gabriella said.

"Rest, okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded and closed her eyes. Ten minutes later, Troy was back in his original spot working on his laptop. He heard Gabriella moan again.

"Brie?" Troy called.

"Troy, I need you" Gabriella said softly.

Troy got up and walked over to the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed again and smoothed Gabriella's hair back.

"Breathe sweetheart" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and took Troy's hand in her own. Troy looked at the heart monitor and saw that it was a little irregular, but then regulated. He knew that he had to tell Dr. Brooks. After Gabriella's contraction ended, Troy looked at Gabriella.

"I need to go talk to Dr. Brooks for a minute, okay? I'll be back before your next one" Troy said.

"Hurry back" Gabriella said.

"I will" Troy said.

Troy left the hospital room and went to Dr. Brooks office. He knocked on the door, that was open. Dr. Brooks turned around and smiled.

"Heart rate is speeding up and then regulating again" Troy said.

"Has labor started?" Dr. Brooks asked.

"Just started" Troy said.

"We need to monitor it. If it goes any higher than the level that it's going up now, we need to intervene" Dr. Brooks said.

"I know" Troy said.

"Take off your doctor cap, Troy" Dr. Brooks said.

"I'm just worried, that's all" Troy said.

"I know you are. But let me handle it. After all, I do know what I am doing" Dr. Brooks said.

Troy nodded.

"I got to go. I'm on a timer" Troy said.

Dr. Brooks nodded. Troy jogged back to Gabriella's hospital room and saw her breathing deeply. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge and took her hand in his own. Gabriella finished the contraction.

"What's wrong, Troy?" Gabriella asked.

Troy closed his eyes. He didn't want to worry Gabriella.

"Her heart rate was a little irregular and then it regulated. I went to tell Dr. Brooks about it. Everything is still okay. We just have to monitor it and make sure that it doesn't go up any higher" Troy said.

Gabriella placed her hand on her bump.

"Relax, sweetheart" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"There you go" Troy said softly.

Six hours later, Gabriella was standing up with her hand on her bump. Dr. Fields had come in and checked Gabriella and saw that she was at a four already.

"Troy" Gabriella said painfully.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy and moaned.

"Just breathe" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. Her eyes flew open as did Troy's.

"Water broke" Troy said.

"Don't move, please" Gabriella said softly.

"I'm right here, baby" Troy said.

After the contraction ended, Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Do you want me to call my parents and give them an update?" Troy asked.

"Text them" Gabriella said tiredly.

Troy nodded. He texted his parents and let them know what was going on. A couple hours later, Gabriella was sleeping peacefully. She had gotten an epidural an hour ago. Gabriella opened her eyes and looked at Troy.

"Hey beautiful, how are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Tired" Gabriella said.

"Dr. Brooks said that the baby is still showing that up and down pattern" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"What does that mean for now?" Gabriella asked.

"We have to watch it" Troy said.

Gabriella reached over and took Troy's hand in her own. Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled. He leaned over and kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"You are doing really well, Brie" Troy said.

"Should we call my mom?" Gabriella asked.

"I can leave her a voicemail if you want" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Just so she doesn't think that I deliberately didn't tell her" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled and nodded.

"I'll go do that now. Do you need anything or are you going to go back to sleep?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"I'm going to go back to sleep" Gabriella said.

"Alright. I'll be right back" Troy said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips.

"Love you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Love you more" Troy said.

Troy left the hospital room. Hours passed and Gabriella was lying on her side. Dr. Fields had just checked Gabriella and said she was at a seven.

"Troy?" Gabriella asked.

"Hmm?" Troy asked.

"I want to go for a walk or do something. She's taking so long" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"I know you do. She's comfortable in there right now" Troy said placing his hand on Gabriella's bump.

Gabriella sighed. She looked up at the monitor. Troy looked where Gabriella was looking.

"Don't worry about that right now, Brie. It's only going to stress you out" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy. Troy took Gabriella's hand in his own and kissed it gently.

"Don't go anywhere" Gabriella said.

"I'm not. I'm here" Troy said smoothing Gabriella's hair back and placing a kiss on her forehead.

An hour later, Dr. Fields placed the bedsheet back over Gabriella's body.

"Almost there. I'll come back in a half hour to check on you" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella groaned. She just wanted her baby girl in her arms.

"Brie, it's alright" Troy said placing his warm hand on Gabriella's lower back.

"I just want her out, Troy. I want to know if she's okay" Gabriella said tearfully.

"I know you do. You are doing so well. I know that this is way longer than Pat" Troy said.

Gabriella closed her eyes and tears ran down her cheeks. Troy wiped them away. A hour later, Troy, Dr. Fields, and Dr. Brooks all watched the monitors that showed the baby's heart rate.

"Just a little more, Gabi" Dr. Fields said.

Gabriella had been pushing for a half hour. She pushed again and Troy looked at her and smiled.

"She's right here, Brie" Troy said as he rubbed her leg.

Gabriella pushed again and felt a weight lifted off her.

"It's a girl" Dr. Fields said placing the baby on Gabriella's chest.

Gabriella started crying. Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"You did it" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled tearfully. An hour and a half later, Dr. Fields and Dr. Brooks came into the room.

"How is she?" Gabriella asked.

"We have her on some oxygen and heart monitors" Dr. Brooks said.

Troy placed his hand on top of Gabriella's.

"We can't see her?" Gabriella asked.

"You shouldn't be getting out of bed" Dr. Brooks said.

Gabriella looked down at her and Troy's entwined hands.

"But, Troy can come see her and take a picture for you" Dr. Brooks said.

Troy looked at Gabriella, who looked at him.

"Take a good one" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled and nodded. He kissed Gabriella's cheek.

"I'll be back" Troy said.

Troy got up and followed the doctors. Forty-five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Troy poked his head in.

"Are you covered up?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. Troy walked into the room. Gabriella noticed Troy's eyes were red and puffy. He was also sniffling.

"How is she?" Gabriella asked.

Troy swallowed hard.

"This is why I couldn't have been on her case" Troy said wiping remaining tears away.

"Troy, you didn't answer my question" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Dr. Brooks assessed Olivia and figured out what we were working with. She thinks that because Olivia was born healthy, meaning her vitals were good, that she could operate earlier. We just have to consent to it. I didn't want to give her consent without talking to you about it first" Troy said.

"She's healthy?" Gabriella asked.

Troy smiled and nodded.

"And she's beautiful" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Are there more risks of doing it now as opposed to later?" Gabriella asked.

"She would grow a little more. But, the problem could get worse" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed. Troy took his phone out and handed it to Gabriella.

"I got a picture of her for you" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at the picture and smiled.

"She's beautiful. When does Dr. Brooks want to do surgery?" Gabriella asked.

"Probably in two weeks. Just so that she can further develop" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"If she's strong enough, I want to do it" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled slightly and nodded.

"I can go and tell her now if you want" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy and motioned for him to come closer. Troy walked closer to the bed and sat on the edge. Gabriella wrapped her arms around her husband.

"Stay here for a little while before you go running around the hospital" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded and kissed Gabriella's cheek.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"A little sore. But, I'm okay. When do you want to call mom and dad?" Gabriella asked.

"When we figure out what's going to happen with Olivia. I don't want everyone to come and bombard us. You need rest and we need to figure out what's going on with Olivia" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Two days later, Gabriella was released from the hospital. Olivia was in ICU and being monitored. The couple got into the car. Troy started driving and Gabriella choked out a cry.

"Hey, Dr. Brooks said we could come see her whenever we want to" Troy said.

"I had a baby two days ago and left the hospital without her" Gabriella cried.

"I know baby" Troy said.

"It sucks" Gabriella said.

The couple arrived home and saw Troy's parents' car in the driveway. They got out of the car. Troy walked over to Gabriella and wrapped his arms around her.

"We can go tonight and see her. You just need some sleep first" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's forehead.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled slightly.

"Come on, sweetheart" Troy said.

The couple walked into the house. Lucille and Jack looked at the couple.

"Hi guys" Troy said.

Lucille walked over to Gabriella and hugged her. Gabriella hugged Lucille back.

"You doing okay?" Lucille asked.

"Emotional. But, that was to be expected" Gabriella said.

"If you need anything, let us know" Lucille said.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

The two women pulled away. Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled. That night, Gabriella brought Patrick into the bedroom.

"Daddy" Patrick said.

Troy looked up and smiled. Gabriella walked over to the bed and placed Patrick on the bed. She then got in bed and put the covers over them.

"There's going to be a visitor in our bed tonight?" Troy asked.

Gabriella smiled and kissed Patrick's cheek.

"Just for tonight. With all that's going on, I am thankful that Pat is okay" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He grabbed some pillows and put them around Patrick so that he or Gabriella wouldn't accidently roll onto him. The next morning, the couple dropped Patrick off at Troy's parents house. Troy and Gabriella were going to the hospital to see Olivia. The couple went to the ICU. Troy smiled when he saw Nicole sitting at the front desk.

"Hi guys. How's it going?" Nicole asked.

"Doing the best we can right now. Can we go back and see her?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Nicole said.

"Thanks Nicole" Gabriella said.

"No problem. Stay strong" Nicole said.

The couple smiled. Gabriella followed Troy into a room. Troy took Gabriella's hand in his own.

"That's her" Troy said pointing to an incubator.

The couple walked up to the incubator. They stood in silence for a couple moments until Troy saw Gabriella's shoulders start to shake. Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek softly. Gabriella turned around and collapsed in Troy's arms. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella.

"She's going to be okay. I promise" Troy said.

"It's just really hard" Gabriella said tearfully.

"I know. Go look at our daughter, Brie" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at the incubator. She let go of Troy and placed both of her hands on the incubator.

"Hi baby girl" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"She looks a lot like Pat when he was born" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Same hair color. Can I hold her?" Gabriella asked.

"I can go ask" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She sat down in a chair that was next to Olivia's incubator. Troy looked at Gabriella as she broke down again. He walked out of the room and came back with Nicole a couple minutes later. Gabriella was told to put a protective gown on. Troy did the same. Nicole and Troy then opened the incubator. Nicole lifted Olivia out of the incubator and Troy made sure Olivia was still connected to all the machines. Nicole placed Olivia into Gabriella's arms. Troy carefully moved the machines that Olivia was connected to closer. He looked at Nicole, who looked back at him.

"Let me know when you want to put her back in. Don't do it by yourself, Troy" Nicole said.

"I will. Thank you, Nicole" Troy said.

Nicole nodded and left the room. Troy looked at Gabriella, who was holding Olivia.

"How does it feel?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy and smiled for the first time since Olivia was born.

"Like I have a daughter" Gabriella said.

Gabriella kissed Olivia's head softly.

"So, in a week and a half is her surgery" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"How are you feeling about that?" Troy asked trying to get Gabriella to open up.

"Nervous" Gabriella said.

"Me too. But, Dr. Brooks is one of the best. Olivia is in good hands" Troy said.

"I know. After her surgery, can we take her home?" Gabriella asked.

"We have to see if she's stable. If she is, then yes. If there are complications, she has to stay" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"But you don't need to worry about that right now, okay?" Troy said softly.

"It's hard not to think about" Gabriella said.

"I know. But, we got to be positive. If it wasn't safe, I would have told Brooks no" Troy said.

"I know. Do you want hold her, Troy?" Gabriella asked.

Troy smiled and nodded. Gabriella carefully placed Olivia into Troy's arms. Troy looked at Olivia and smiled.

"Hi baby girl. You are going to be okay. I promise. Your big brother can't wait to meet you" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Your mommy and I love you very much" Troy continued.

The couple stayed in ICU for twenty more minutes until they decided that they should go home. They knew that Olivia would be okay once everything got settled and under control.


	23. Surgery Day

A week and a half later, Gabriella and Troy arrived at the hospital around six o' clock in the morning. Olivia's surgery was today. Both Gabriella and Troy had trouble sleeping the night before. They went up to the surgery center of the hospital and were escorted to where Olivia was being prepped. The couple put on the protective gowns that they had been putting on to hold their daughter. Troy carefully lifted Olivia out of the incubator and held her in his arms.

"Hi baby girl. All these people are here to help you, okay? I love you" Troy said kissing his daughter's head.

Troy carefully placed Olivia into Gabriella's arms. Gabriella kissed Olivia's head softly.

"You're going to be okay, baby. I love you" Gabriella said as silent tears fell from her eyes.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"Hi guys" Dr. Brooks said walking into the ICU.

"Hi" the couple said.

Troy shook his colleague's hand.

"She's in good hands. I promise. Troy, do you have surgery scheduled or appointments?" Dr. Brooks asked.

"I told the chief that I needed to take today off. I needed to be here" Troy said.

"Okay. I didn't know if you had done all that ahead of time or not. I would have called down for you and asked for a personal day for you" Dr. Brooks said.

"Thanks" Troy said.

"Gabriella-" Dr. Brooks started.

"I took the day off. I called in when we found out what the date was" Gabriella said.

Dr. Brooks nodded.

"Good. So, what's going to happen now is that we are going to put her under. I am going to have a nurse checking in with you periodically and giving you updates, okay? Grab some coffee and food" Dr. Brooks said.

The couple nodded.

"Do you have any questions for me?" Dr. Brooks asked.

Troy shook his head. He looked at Gabriella, who also shook her head.

"Alright, I am going to ask you both to step out and we will get started" Dr. Brooks said.

The couple nodded. They walked out of the ICU and went down the hall to the waiting area.

"Do you want to go eat, baby?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"It will help you feel a little better" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy, who looked at her. She nodded.

"Come on. Let's go" Troy said taking Gabriella's hand in his own.

Two hours later, the couple was sitting in the waiting room. Gabriella had fallen asleep with her head leaning against Troy's shoulder. Troy was happy that Gabriella had finally fallen asleep. Both of them didn't sleep very well the night before. Troy was watching television when he saw his parents appear in the waiting room looking for their granddaughter. He raised his hand and his parents walked over to the couple. Troy motioned for them to whisper because Gabriella was sleeping.

"What's the latest?" Lucille whispered.

"She's still in surgery. They are trying to reconstruct the area to help everything flow better" Troy explained.

"How's Gabriella doing?" Jack asked motioning to his sleeping daughter-in-law.

"The best she can. She's been trying to be strong today" Troy said.

Lucille and Jack smiled sympathetically.

"Any word from Maria?" Lucille asked.

Troy shook his head.

"Nothing. I think it's better this way. We are dealing with Olivia and we have Pat. We don't need one more thing" Troy said.

Gabriella stirred. Troy looked down. Gabriella slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey, mom and dad are here" Troy said.

Gabriella looked up and smiled slightly at her in-laws.

"Hey beautiful. How are you feeling?" Lucille asked.

"Fine. Just a little tired" Gabriella said.

Three more hours passed, Gabriella was pacing. Troy took a deep breath and released it. He stood up and stopped Gabriella in her tracks.

"Brie, sit down please" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Can you go ask Nicole what's going on?" Gabriella asked.

"Let me go see what's going on. You stay here" Troy said.

Troy walked over to the reception desk.

"Any word from Brooks?" Troy asked.

"I was just about to call you over here. She was rolled into recovery just now. Brooks apologizes for not updating you guys for the last hour" Nicole said.

Troy smiled.

"Thank you" Troy said.

Troy walked away from the desk and saw Dr. Brooks walking into the waiting room. Troy walked over to Gabriella.

"Baby, she's out of surgery" Troy said.

Dr. Brooks walked over to the couple.

"It was successful. She's alright for now. We still have to monitor her from time to time. But, everything should be working well" Dr. Brooks said.

Gabriella smiled. Tears ran down her cheeks.

"Can we see her?" Gabriella asked.

"She's still waking up from the anesthesia. But, you can go on back" Dr. Brooks said.

The couple thanked Dr. Brooks. Troy took Gabriella's hand in his own.

"You ready?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. Troy turned to his parents.

"We'll be right back" Troy said.

The couple walked to the ICU and went to the bassinet that was labeled Bolton. Gabriella choked out a sob.

"She has to recover and heal" Troy said.

"She looks like she got beat up" Gabriella said.

"She just had major surgery. She's going to look like that until she is completely healed" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"I didn't mean to snap, Brie" Troy said feeling bad for his tone.

Gabriella shook her head.

"You're tired. Both of us are, Troy. We had to release our stress somehow" Gabriella said.

Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella.

"I'm sorry" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I know. It's just a tough time right now" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. Gabriella kissed Troy's lips.

"But, she's out and she's alive" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled and nodded.

"I know that this isn't the end of this nightmare for her and us but at least it's a start" Troy said.

"Thank you for everything that you have done, Troy" Gabriella said.

"I knew Brooks' track record. I knew that she was the best. I wanted the best for Olivia" Troy said.

Gabriella leaned in and kissed Troy's lips passionately. Troy kissed her back and pulled away slowly, leaning his nose against Gabriella's.

"What was that for?" Troy asked.

"Because I love you, Dr. Troy Bolton" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"And I love you, Ms. Gabriella Montez-Bolton" Troy said.

Someone cleared their throat.

"Bolton. Just because you have a personal day does not mean you can make out in the ICU. What's wrong with you? Hi Gabriella" Ashley said.

"Hi Ashley" Gabriella said.

"Rodriguez, my daughter just came out of heart surgery. Can't I have a moment with my wife?" Troy asked jokingly.

"In your home, yes. In the ICU, no. Go home Bolton. Both of you. I'm glad everything turned out okay" Ashley said.

The couple smiled. They went home. Later that night, Troy came into the bedroom and saw Gabriella already asleep. He got into bed, careful not to wake Gabriella. Troy knew Gabriella needed sleep more than anyone.

"Mm. What happened?" Gabriella asked sleepily.

"Go back to sleep, Brie. Nothing happened. Relax" Troy said.

Gabriella snuggled into Troy's chest and went back to sleep. The next few days, the couple would go to work and then visit Olivia. A week later, the couple walked into the ICU and smiled at the nurse, whose name was Natasha.

"Hi Natasha, how's she doing today?" Gabriella asked.

"She's been improving every day. Dr. Brooks had told me to ask you if you were considering breastfeeding" Natasha said.

"I didn't think it was even an option" Gabriella said truthfully.

"She said that it may help Olivia recover faster" Natasha said.

Troy looked at Gabriella, who looked at him.

"Do you want to try it and see?" Troy asked.

"There's no harm in trying" Gabriella said.

"Alright. I'll pass her over to you" Natasha said.

Gabriella sat down in the chair that was next to the incubator. Natasha lifted Olivia out of the incubator and placed her in Gabriella's arms.

"Alright. I'm going to close these blinds and curtains so you have some privacy, okay?" Natasha said.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

Natasha closed the blinds and curtains in the room.

"You're all set. Page me if you need anything" Natasha said.

Natasha left the room.

"Can you hand me that blanket over there?" Gabriella asked pointing to a blanket on top of the incubator.

Troy picked up the small blanket and handed it to Gabriella. Gabriella pulled down her shirt and held Olivia up to her breast and watched her latch on. She then placed the blanket loosely over her chest.

"How does it feel?" Troy asked.

"Like she is home. But, she's not" Gabriella said looking down at her daughter.

"She will be soon, Brie" Troy said.

"Just an emotional thing. That's all" Gabriella said softly.

"I know. But, she's recovering fast. Everyone's been telling me" Troy said.

"I want her to come home" Gabriella said as silent tears ran down her cheeks.

Ten minutes later, Olivia pulled away from Gabriella. She carefully burped her. Gabriella handed Olivia over to Troy so that she could get cleaned up. When she returned, Gabriella smiled when she saw Troy sitting with their daughter. She walked over to Troy and kissed his cheek. Troy looked up and smiled.

"You good?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"She has your eyes. I never noticed it before now" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Really?" Gabriella asked.

"Come look" Troy said.

Gabriella moved closer to Troy and looked at Olivia.

"She does" Gabriella said leaning her head against Troy's shoulder.

An hour later, the couple left the ICU and went home.

"Troy?" Gabriella called.

"Yeah" Troy said.

"Come here for a minute" Gabriella said.

Troy appeared in the living room. Gabriella walked over to Troy and kissed his lips. Troy kissed her back.

"Thank you for dealing with my emotional self since Olivia's been in the hospital. I know that it hasn't been easy" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He kissed Gabriella's lips again and smoothed her hair back.

"Come here" Troy said.

Troy walked over to the couch and sat down, patting a space for Gabriella to sit next to him. Gabriella sat next to Troy.

"You have been so strong throughout this whole thing. Every day I see it. At first it was really hard, but over the course of this week, I've seen you push through. It's been an emotional rollercoaster ride and it's not over. But, it's okay to cry sometimes. I'm really proud of you, baby" Troy said.

"Thanks Troy. I saw Nicole yesterday and she told me that you cried after your surgery" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I did. Because I had just finished open heart surgery on a little girl. I pictured Olivia and broke down" Troy said.

Gabriella leaned in and kissed Troy's lips. Troy pulled away and smiled. He moved a stray hair out of Gabriella's face.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

"She's going to be okay" Troy said.

A week later, Troy had just finished his shift and wanted to go by the ICU to see Olivia. He walked by the front desk and heard someone call his name.

"Bolton" Dr. Brooks called.

Troy looked up and saw Dr. Brooks motion for him to come to her office. He walked over to her.

"How's my girl doing today?" Troy asked.

"You can take her home today, Troy" Dr. Brooks said.

"What?" Troy asked in shock.

"She's stable. All her vitals are normal. Her heart is working fine for right now. There's no reason for her to be here" Dr. Brooks said.

A smile crept up on Troy's face.

"She's still going to need some time to recover. Her development may be pushed back a little bit because of her hospitalization and surgery, but for now she's safe" Dr. Brooks said.

Troy nodded.

"I'll keep an eye out for anything that looks out of the ordinary" Troy said.

Dr. Brooks nodded. Within the hour, Troy had gone home to get Olivia's car seat and had come back to the hospital. He didn't want to tell Gabriella. Troy knew that she had took everything hard and he wanted to surprise her. He carefully placed Olivia into her car seat.

"Thank you for everything, Brooks. I can't say that enough" Troy said shaking her hand.

"I'm just doing my job. So, what does your plan entail?" Dr. Brooks asked.

Troy smiled.

"I probably will be sitting on the couch holding her. Gabriella will walk in and that's when the tears will start" Troy said.

Dr. Brooks smiled.

"Sounds like a nice surprise to me. Let me know if you need anything" Dr. Brooks said.

Troy nodded. He picked up the car seat and walked to his car. Troy drove home. Once he got home, Troy put his plan into action. He made Lucille promise not to say anything to Gabriella once she saw that Olivia was home. Troy was sitting on the couch with Olivia in his arms. Patrick sat next to him.

"Daddy, baby?" Patrick asked.

"Yeah. This is your baby sister, Olivia" Troy said.

"Kiss?" Patrick asked.

Troy smiled.

"You can give her one. But be gentle" Troy said.

Patrick gently kissed Olivia's head and then looked at his father and smiled.

"Good job, Pat" Troy said.

Troy heard a key start to unlock the door. His heart started racing.

"Troy?" Gabriella called.

"In the living room" Troy said.

Gabriella walked into the living room and her jaw dropped.

"Dr. Brooks told me that I could take her home today" Troy said.

Gabriella started to cry.

"No crying mommy" Patrick said.

Troy smiled.

"I'm happy baby. What did she say?" Gabriella asked tearfully.

"She said to call if we notice anything out of the ordinary. But for now, she's stable and safe" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it. She walked over to Troy and leaned in and kissed his lips.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

"I love you" Troy said.

Later that night, Gabriella was sitting in Olivia's bedroom with Olivia in her arms. Troy knocked on the door gently.

"I just put Pat down for bed" Troy said.

"Thank you. Sorry I'm taking so long" Gabriella said.

"Take your time, Brie. Remember she's still learning what to do" Troy said.

"I know" Gabriella said.

"Let me know if you need help" Troy said.

"I will. Thank you" Gabriella said.

Ten minutes later, Gabriella walked downstairs in one of Troy's old wildcat shirts. She walked into the kitchen and saw Troy drinking a glass of water.

"Stealing my shirts again, Montez?" Troy asked playfully.

"It's the only thing that's comfortable" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. He walked over to Gabriella and wrapped his arms around her.

"Need me to do anything?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"You still look pretty cute in my shirts" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"I just had a baby come out of me. This shirt is just to hide all the craziness that is going on in my body now" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Gabriella" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"You might refer to it as craziness, but I refer to it as beautiful" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down.

"You just had a baby and on top of all that, watched our daughter have open-heart surgery. Now, I don't know about you, but I would call that a strong and loving mother that would do anything for her child" Troy said.

Gabriella wiped tears that ran down her cheeks.

"Then how come if she cries I run upstairs thinking something is wrong with her heart?" Gabriella asked tearfully.

"Because you just had a child go through open-heart surgery. You know the side effects that can occur. You are worried and that's normal, sweetheart. It's going to be a little rocky with her for a little while, but once we get the hang of it, everything will be smooth sailing" Troy said.

Gabriella sniffled.

"Mommy" Patrick called through the monitor that was on the kitchen counter.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Mommy duties" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. Gabriella walked out of the kitchen and upstairs to Patrick's room.

"Hey baby, what's wrong hm?" Gabriella asked as she lifted Patrick out of his crib.

Gabriella checked her son's diaper and saw that it was clean.

"You just want to be with mommy" Gabriella said.

"Yes" Patrick said innocently.

Gabriella smiled. She lifted Patrick off of the changing table and placed him on her hip.

"Let's go see daddy" Gabriella said.

Gabriella walked into the master bedroom.

"Someone is a little attached to mommy" Gabriella said.

Troy looked up and smiled.

"We have been spending a lot of time away from him" Troy said.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"It's not your fault. Things have been a little crazy" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at her son.

"Baby sister" Patrick said.

"Baby sister is sleeping, Pat" Troy said.

"Come on baby, get into bed" Gabriella said placing her son on their bed.

Troy lifted the bed sheet and helped Patrick lie down in the bed. A cry then filled the house.

"I think she's hungry" Gabriella said.

Gabriella walked into Olivia's room. Twenty minutes later, Gabriella returned to the bedroom and saw Troy sitting up in bed and Patrick sleeping next to him.

"Well, he fell asleep" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"A couple minutes ago. Is she okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. She got back into bed.

"Night baby" Gabriella said leaning over to kiss Troy's lips.

"Night" Troy said.

A couple weeks later, Gabriella was holding Olivia, who was crying, and trying to make sure Patrick was eating his lunch. She gently bounced Olivia in her arms to try and get her to stop crying. Gabriella didn't hear the front door open. Troy appeared in the kitchen and took the scene in. He looked at Gabriella and smiled sympathetically.

"I'll sit with him. You go upstairs" Troy said.

"Thank you" Gabriella said kissing Troy's lips.

Gabriella walked upstairs with Olivia, who was still crying.

"Daddy, too much crying" Patrick said.

Troy chuckled.

"I know buddy. Your sister just needs mommy right now" Troy said.

"I need her too" Patrick said innocently.

That pulled at Troy's heartstrings.

"I know. Your sister is a baby. She needs mommy and daddy. You are a big boy" Troy said.

"Mommy says I'm a baby" Patrick said.

Troy rolled his eyes playfully.

"Mommy knows that you are a big boy" Troy said.

Twenty minutes later, Gabriella came downstairs. Troy looked at her and raised his eyebrow.

"What?" Gabriella asked.

"Your two-year old son just told me that he needed you" Troy said.

"He did?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded. He told Gabriella about the conversation he had with Patrick.

"What do we do?" Gabriella asked.

"The only solution is that we have to pay more attention to him. Olivia is recovering nicely. She's sleeps majority of the day" Troy said.

"I am trying- "Gabriella started but was interrupted.

"I know you are baby. We just got to figure out a compromise. He sees that you and I are giving Olivia a lot of attention. He is used to getting all of that" Troy said.

Gabriella put her hands over her face. Troy stood up and took Gabriella into his arms.

"Brie, look at me" Troy said.

"I feel like a bad mom for doing that. It's just really hard right now" Gabriella said.

Troy frowned.

"Gabriella, you are the best mom in the world. Yeah there is a lot of stuff that we must look for with Olivia. But, I can handle all that. If there is something wrong with her heart, I will know. So, you don't have to worry about that" Troy said.

"I don't want him to feel like I'm abandoning him" Gabriella said.

"He knows that you love him. Like I said, he's just used to getting all the attention from both of us" Troy said.

The rest of the day, Gabriella tried to spend as much time with Patrick. She didn't want what she went through with her mother to happen with her son.


	24. Breakthrough

A couple weeks later, Troy was holding Olivia, who had just woken up from her nap. Troy and Gabriella had been trying to pay more attention to Patrick and also got some help from Lucille and Jack. Whenever they were overloaded with Olivia, they would ask Lucille and Jack if Patrick could stay at their house so that he would receive some attention. Troy walked downstairs and went into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of milk and heated it for his daughter. Troy then walked into the living room and sat down and placed the bottle into Olivia's mouth.

"There you go, sweetheart" Troy said.

Troy heard the door open and Gabriella walked into the house.

"Troy?" Gabriella called.

"Yeah" Troy said.

Gabriella walked into the living room.

"She just woke up from her nap" Troy said.

"Good. Did mom call about Pat?" Gabriella asked.

"She wants to keep him for the night. I told her about last night" Troy said.

"Oh" Gabriella said.

"Baby, why don't let me do that? Go relax" Troy said as he watched Gabriella start unloading grocery bags.

"I can do it" Gabriella said.

"Dr. Brooks called. She wanted to remind us about Olivia's follow-up" Troy said.

"When is that?" Gabriella asked.

"Thursday. She got the chief to let me come home with you after" Troy said.

"That was nice of her" Gabriella said as she put groceries away in the refrigerator.

Troy started putting away groceries.

"Your mom called" Troy said solemnly.

Gabriella looked at Troy, whose back was now to her.

"What did she say?" Gabriella asked.

"She called to check in. She wanted to see how Olivia was doing" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Did you tell her?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah. She said she wanted to come and help out. I told her that I needed to talk to you about it. I didn't know if you were going to be comfortable with that" Troy said.

"I don't have time to deal with her" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Brie" Troy started.

"We are fine doing it ourselves. We have enough help" Gabriella said.

Gabriella had been throwing herself into caring for Olivia. It helped distract her from how she felt about everything.

"Gabriella" Troy said softly.

Gabriella looked at Troy. She had dark blue and purple under eye circles, she had her hair up in a messy bun, and her body looked exhausted.

"Let's talk for a minute, okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple walked into the living room. Gabriella placed Olivia in her day chair and then sat down next to Troy on the couch.

"I'm worried about you, Brie. It's good that you are trying to have everything like it used to be. But I know that the reason why you are trying to get back into our regular routine so fast is because you don't want to get emotional. I get that. But, it's not healthy baby" Troy said.

Gabriella looked down.

"I just have cried so much about it that I don't know if I can cry anymore" Gabriella said.

"Maybe we need to go to see someone. I don't like to see you like this, Brie. Maybe it could help you and for me to get a better understanding of what it is that you are feeling and how I can help. Also for you to release some of that built up stuff" Troy said.

"I didn't mean to make you feel-" Gabriella started.

"Hey, hey. I'm not saying you did anything. I want to understand from your point-of-view. That's all" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy. Troy smiled.

"Would you be opposed to that?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"I want to do it. I think that we need to do it" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I can ask around for some referrals and see what I find" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy motioned for Gabriella to come closer. Gabriella moved closer to Troy and wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too. I'm sorry" Gabriella said.

"It's not your fault. It comes with the territory. But going to see someone is only going to help. It can't hurt" Troy said.

"I didn't think I would be a mess like this" Gabriella said.

"You're not a mess. You are a mother of a baby girl who just had open heart surgery. Your husband is a cardiothoracic surgeon. Plus on top of all of that, your mom is making you go insane. You are strong. You just need to learn that you don't always have to hold it together" Troy said.

Gabriella rubbed her eyes.

"Come on, go change and get in bed. I'm going to make some calls and I will put her down" Troy said looking at his sleeping daughter.

Gabriella nodded. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"I'll be up soon" Troy said.

Gabriella walked upstairs. Troy sighed. He called around and left messages for a few therapists in the area. Troy walked over to Olivia and picked her up carefully. She started to cry.

"I know, I'm sorry baby girl. Let's go upstairs and get you in bed" Troy said.

Troy walked upstairs and did Olivia's night routine. He then walked into the bedroom and smiled when he saw Gabriella waiting for him.

"You didn't have to wait up for me" Troy said.

"I couldn't sleep" Gabriella said.

Troy took his shirt and jeans off. He got into bed.

"I called some therapists in the area and left messages. They will call back in the morning" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

"Get some sleep okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. A couple days later, Gabriella and Troy were sitting in a waiting room of the therapist that Troy had chosen for them to go see. A woman who was in her mid-forties came into the waiting room. She had long dark hair that was a little lighter than Gabriella's.

"Troy and Gabriella Bolton" the woman called.

The couple smiled and stood up. They followed the therapist into her office and they all sat down.

"Hi Troy and Gabriella. I'm Natasha" Natasha said.

"Hi" the couple said simultaneously.

"Today I just want to get to know you both and see what we can work on together in your future sessions" Natasha said.

The couple nodded.

"Why did you make the decision to come to counseling?" Natasha asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy, who looked at her. Troy then looked at Natasha.

"Our daughter, who is about a month and half old, was diagnosed with a heart problem. I am a cardiologist, but not hers. She had open-heart surgery and the whole thing shook us up. When she came home from the hospital, we were very worried about her as any parent would be. Our family kind of got that idea too. It happened really fast. I saw Gabriella becoming really focused on making sure that our daughter was okay. But for herself, I saw that it was starting to affect her" Troy explained.

Natasha nodded.

"In what ways was it affecting her?" Natasha asked.

"You could see it in her face and her body. She didn't smile like she used to. I knew that nothing I said or did would make it better" Troy said.

Natasha nodded.

"Gabriella, how do you feel listening to Troy say all of this?" Natasha asked.

"It makes me upset. But I know that he wants to help me. He's been by my side through all of this. It's just really hard" Gabriella said.

"Do you have any other children or is this your first?" Natasha asked.

"We have an older son. He's two" Troy said.

"I know that it may be difficult to take care of him and deal with all of this. Is your family supportive?" Natasha asked.

"My parents watch him whenever things get a little crazy with our daughter. Gabriella's mother has been in and out" Troy explained.

Natasha nodded.

"What about-" Natasha started but Gabriella knew where she was going.

"My dad died" Gabriella said quickly.

"I'm so sorry" Natasha said.

Gabriella smiled sympathetically.

"I think I have a better understanding of what's going on. We can work together on all of this" Natasha said.

The couple nodded. They finished talking to Natasha and left the office. Troy and Gabriella got in the car and sighed simultaneously.

"You okay?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded.

"Are you?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded.

"She needs the whole story, Brie. That's why she asked about your dad" Troy said.

"I know" Gabriella said.

"Thank you for agreeing to go" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"She mentioned that she wanted to talk to us individually" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded as he started the car.

"There may be stuff that you don't feel comfortable talking about with me" Troy said.

"But I feel comfortable talking to you about everything" Gabriella said.

"I know. But, for example, your mom. That's something that is your business" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"The way you feel about what's going on with Olivia versus how I feel is another thing too" Troy added.

The couple arrived home. Later that night, Gabriella walked into the living room and saw Troy sitting and watching television.

"I'm going to go to bed" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. Gabriella walked closer to Troy and lied down next to him on the couch.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips softly.

"I'll be up in a little bit" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy watched Gabriella walk upstairs. A couple days later, Troy came home and saw Gabriella lying on the couch.

"Hey" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Hey" Gabriella said.

"Dr. Brooks called to remind us about Olivia's appointment" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Hopefully it's good news" Gabriella said.

"She's been showing improvement and she's still recovering from surgery" Troy said.

"I just wish there was an easier way to deal with it" Gabriella said.

"I know. Our next session with Natasha is on Friday, right?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

The couple had been talking to each other about how they felt every night since they went and saw Natasha. Troy felt like Gabriella was slowly starting to act like her old self again. But he hoped that the appointment with Dr. Brooks wouldn't upset her and set her back.

"I took a half day so that we can go together" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Thank you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"If there is an issue, I just want you to know that we will get through it okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy and nodded.

"We need to do what's best for her" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Right" Troy said.

Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips softly. The next morning, Troy walked out to the waiting room of his office and smiled when he saw not only Gabriella and Olivia, but Patrick as well.

"I thought you were going to drop Pat off at mom and dad's" Troy said lifting his son up and setting him on his hip.

"She had an emergency meeting and dad had a big practice for a game coming up" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. A nurse came into the waiting room and brought the little family to an exam room.

"How's Olivia doing today?" Troy asked peeking into his daughter's car seat where he saw her sleeping.

"Been crying a lot" Gabriella said.

"I'm sorry" Troy said.

"She told us that this was what it was going to be like, Troy" Gabriella said.

"I know" Troy said.

There was a knock on the door. Dr. Brooks came into the room and smiled.

"Dr. Bolton, Gabriella. How's our girl doing?" Dr. Brooks asked as she shook Troy's hand.

"Crying a lot. But she's a lot better than before" Gabriella said.

Dr. Brooks nodded.

"Can I take a look?" Dr. Brooks asked.

Troy put Olivia's car seat onto the exam table and lifted her out of it. Olivia started crying.

"I know baby. I know" Troy said.

"I can do her exam if you hold her, Troy" Dr. Brooks said.

Troy nodded. He adjusted his crying daughter in his arms.

"Hey, it's okay. I got you, baby girl" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. Dr. Brooks put her stethoscope in her ear and placed the end on Olivia's chest. She listened to Olivia's heart and nodded.

"There's definitely an improvement. But you can still hear issues. For right now, that's okay. We probably will have to go in again and do adjustments. But, I want to wait until she's a little older" Dr. Brooks said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"Wasn't this surgery supposed to fix all of the issues?" Gabriella asked.

Troy was about to say something but Dr. Brooks stopped him.

"Gabriella, things happen. When I went in and did surgery, everything looked great. While she heals, things start molding into the things that were previously there. There was no way for us to know that until now. I know you guys are stressed and upset. I understand that. But we are going to fix this-" Dr. Brooks started.

"I want a second opinion" Gabriella said.

"Brie" Troy said.

"Troy, I don't want her to grow up and continuously to have surgery after surgery" Gabriella said.

"Brooks, can we have a minute?" Troy asked.

"Of course" Dr. Brooks said.

Dr. Brooks left the room. Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Brie, Dr. Brooks is telling you the same thing that I would too. We wouldn't have known until now. I know you are upset and I am too" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"It's a lot of stress" Gabriella said softly.

"I know it is, baby. But we have to do this right. Dr. Brooks is one of the best in this country" Troy said.

"I just need some time to think" Gabriella said.

"She didn't say that we had to do this immediately. But at some point, she has to go in again and make adjustments. Those are minor in comparison to what she has done already" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"So, do you want that second opinion still?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head. Troy smiled slightly and leaned in and kissed Gabriella's forehead.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

Dr. Brooks came back into the room and continued her exam. An hour later, Troy packed up the rest of his stuff and walked out to the waiting room.

"Ready?" Troy asked taking the car seat from Gabriella.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

The couple walked to their cars.

"Am I overreacting?" Gabriella asked out of the blue.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Our daughter just had open-heart surgery, Brie. Everything's happening really fast and you are trying to grasp it. That's normal. But, we have to make sure we are caught up on everything that's going on. You want what's best for her. I do too. I know that it's scary, but this is going to help her in the long run" Troy said.

"I just came to terms with her first surgery and now she has to go through another one. That's why I'm upset" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"I know. But we kind of have to put our emotions on hold because we have to figure all this stuff out" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I didn't mean to snap" Gabriella said.

Troy shook his head.

"You are upset. It's okay, sweetheart" Troy said.

"I just want her to be okay" Gabriella said as her voice broke.

"I know. Why don't you go home? I'll be right behind you, okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"We'll talk more at home" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The couple put their children into Gabriella's car and strapped them into their car seats. They then drove home. Once they got home, Troy looked at Gabriella.

"How can I help?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Why did it have to be us?" Gabriella asked.

"Brie, don't start that. You are only going to upset yourself more. It happened. I don't know why it did. But, we have to face it. We just have to sort everything out. You are strong and I know that you and I will get through this" Troy said.

Gabriella closed her eyes and tears ran down her cheeks.

"Tell me what I can do to make you feel better" Troy said placing his hand on top of Gabriella's.

"Hold me" Gabriella said.

Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella. He rubbed her back as she cried. Troy was glad that she was opening up to him and telling him how she felt.

"I got you, baby. She's going to be okay" Troy said.

The next day, the couple had their therapy session with Natasha. A lot was said about the previous day's events. Troy closed the front door and walked into the house.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Exhausted" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Do you feel a little better after talking to Natasha?" Troy asked.

"Every time we have gone, Olivia was stable. Everything that has been brought up is the stuff that I have built up" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Is there anything that I can do to make you feel better?" Troy asked.

Gabriella smiled sympathetically. She placed her hand on top of Troy's.

"Is this feeling ever going to go away? I know that I should be thinking about the future. But, I want her to be a baby and do what babies do. I didn't want this type of life for her. I feel helpless" Gabriella said.

"Hey, I know that things have been rough. But she is doing well now. She may need surgery later on, but let's just try and make the best out of what's going on now" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"It's just so up and down" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"She's going to be fine. I promise" Troy said.

Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips. A couple days later, Troy came home to Patrick running toward him. He kneeled down and caught him in his arms.

"Hey little runner, what are you doing?" Troy asked.

Patrick giggled.

"Where's mommy?" Troy asked.

"Feeding" Gabriella answered for her son.

"Okay" Troy said.

Twenty minutes later, Gabriella came into the living room with Olivia. Troy smiled.

"There are my girls" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled and leaned in and kissed Troy's lips. Troy carefully lifted Olivia out of Gabriella's arms.

"How's her incision site doing?" Troy asked placing his hand on Olivia's chest.

"Still red. But it looks a little better than when she first had surgery" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. He kissed his daughter's head softly.

"Mom called" Gabriella said.

Troy looked at Gabriella and raised his eyebrow.

"What did she want?" Troy asked.

"I didn't answer" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Fine. Better than yesterday" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. He looked at Olivia, who had fallen asleep in his arms.

"If you want to talk, you know that I am always here" Troy said.

"I know. Maybe after we put the kids to bed" Gabriella said.

The couple had started to talk more openly with each other about all the stuff that was going on. Troy was happy that Gabriella had started to open up to him. Gabriella was happy that Troy always made an effort to show her that he wanted to help. That night, Troy walked into the bedroom and stripped down to his underwear and climbed into bed. He leaned over and kissed Gabriella's cheek and looked at the documents she was looking at on her laptop. Gabriella closed her laptop and placed it on the bedside table carefully. She then lied on her side, facing Troy.

"So, you ignored your mom's call" Troy started.

Gabriella nodded.

"I know that it's difficult to deal with her sometimes, Gabriella. But don't you think it's time for both of you to talk about everything?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked down at Troy's hand that was covering hers.

"It's not like I don't want to. I want to. But that feeling always comes back when I'm about to" Gabriella said.

"What feeling?" Troy asked.

"I plan to try to get close to her and then she disappears. What's the point of that?" Gabriella asked.

Troy saw the hurt in Gabriella's eyes.

"You talking to her won't do anything" Gabriella said.

"Is there anything I _can_ do?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy. Her eyes filled with tears and nodded.

"Hold me" Gabriella said breathlessly.

Troy felt a sense of déjà vu. He felt like he had heard her say those exact words when they were talking about Olivia. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella. Gabriella's legs became tangled with Troy's.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you" Gabriella murmured into Troy's neck.

A cry filled the house. Troy looked down at Gabriella in his arms and she looked up at him.

"I'll go bring her back here" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded gratefully. Troy got up and walked out of the room. Five minutes later, Troy came back into the room and stood in the doorway.

"There's mommy. Don't cry baby" Troy said.

Gabriella's heart warmed. Olivia was definitely going to be a daddy's girl. Troy walked to the bed and carefully placed Olivia on it. He sat down on the bed and opened her onesie to see if his suspicion was right.

"What's wrong, Troy?" Gabriella asked.

"Her incision site is healing. It's scabbing up. That's why she's crying" Troy said.

"Poor baby" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled looking down at his daughter. He gently kissed Olivia's incision site and rebuttoned her onesie.

"Nicole wanted to tell you that she's happy that Olivia is recovering nicely" Troy said randomly.

Gabriella smiled.

"Tell her thank you for me" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. A couple weeks later, Troy walked into the pediatric cardiology office. He smiled at the residents that he knew.

"Bolton, Olivia's in room six. Gabriella's been asking about you" Nick, a resident that was in his resident class said.

"Thank you. Has Brooks went in yet?" Troy asked.

"Not yet" Nick said.

Troy smiled.

"Thanks" Troy said.

Troy walked to exam room six and knocked on the door. He heard Gabriella's voice and poked his head in.

"Hey" Troy said kissing Gabriella's cheek.

"Hey" Gabriella said tiredly.

"You okay?" Troy asked looking at his wife.

"Just tired. She just fell asleep. She's been crying all morning" Gabriella said.

"I'm sorry" Troy said.

There was a knock at the door and Dr. Brooks came in.

"Have you looked at the labs?" Troy asked.

"Yes, I did. She's definitely improved" Dr. Brooks said.

Gabriella sighed in relief. Troy placed his hand on her leg.

"Her incision site has been bothering her. She cries when she tries to move around" Troy said.

Dr. Brooks nodded. She lifted Olivia out of her car seat and placed her on the exam table. Dr. Brooks unbuttoned Olivia's onesie and looked at the incision site and nodded.

"It's healing nicely. Surgery incisions take a little longer to heal for babies. Especially one that's as young as her" Dr. Brooks said.

The couple nodded. Gabriella placed her hand on top of Troy's. Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled.

"Other than that, Troy, have you seen anything else?" Dr. Brooks asked.

Troy shook his head.

"Just the incision site and that's all" Troy said.

Dr. Brooks nodded. She finished talking with the couple and left the exam room. Gabriella sighed, releasing the breath she had been holding.

"She's okay, Brie" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled tearfully and nodded. Troy smiled and leaned over and wiped her tears away.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said breathlessly.

Gabriella took Olivia home and Troy went back to work. The couple was happy that they could finally start to relax.


	25. Spin Around In Circles

A couple weeks later, Troy came home from work and smiled when he saw Patrick run over to him. He lifted his son up and set him on his hip.

"Hey buddy. Have you been helping mommy with your baby sister?" Troy asked.

Patrick nodded.

"Let's go see mommy" Troy said.

Troy walked into the family room and saw Gabriella on the phone, with Olivia sleeping on her chest. He sat down on the couch and pulled Patrick up onto his lap.

"She wants to meet you and get your side of the story. It's important to me that you come" Gabriella said.

Troy knew that Gabriella was talking to her mom about going to her therapist with her. Gabriella looked at Troy, who smiled sympathetically.

"Give her an ultimatum. Don't let her give you an excuse" Troy whispered.

Gabriella nodded. She listened to her mom talking and closed her eyes.

"If you don't want to come to a therapy session when I have asked you to, then we shouldn't talk. This situation isn't going to get any better" Gabriella said as her voice cracked.

Troy saw tears in Gabriella's eyes, but saw that she was trying to be strong and hold it in. It made him angry. A couple minutes later, Gabriella hung up the phone and looked at Troy.

"We aren't going to talk. She made her choice" Gabriella said.

"Brie" Troy started.

"I really don't want to talk about it, Troy" Gabriella said standing up and walking out of the room and upstairs.

Troy took a deep breath and released it. He wanted to give Gabriella her space, even though he wanted to talk to her about what happened. After Troy put Patrick down for his nap an hour later, he walked into the bedroom.

"Brie" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Troy asked.

"I just don't get it. Why can't she do this for me? It's just talking to someone that isn't family" Gabriella said.

"She has her way of doing things. If she doesn't want to go, then she doesn't have to go. But she's going to have to live with the consequences. I'm proud of you for standing your ground" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy with tears in her eyes. She walked over to Troy and wrapped her arms around him. Troy felt Gabriella nuzzle her nose into his neck. Gabriella then looked up at him and kissed his lips passionately. Troy kissed her and cupped her cheek in his hand. Gabriella pulled away and looked at him.

"Do you want me to ask my mom if she could watch Pat?" Troy asked knowing where Gabriella's mind was going.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"No. I don't want to keep sending him over there when something happens" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"Is there anything I can do?" Troy asked.

Gabriella walked over to Troy and leaned in and kissed him softly. Troy kissed her back and pulled away slowly, resting his nose against Gabriella's.

"You are on restriction" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"I know. I just…a year is a long time" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's nose.

"You need to heal" Troy said backing away from Gabriella, so that he could see her face.

Gabriella looked down.

"If we could, we would. I just want to be safe and not have you in pain" Troy said.

"I just don't want you to be unattracted to me" Gabriella said.

"What?" Troy asked breathlessly and putting his hands on both her arms.

"It's been a rough year. We've been dealing with Olivia and her surgery, Pat is starting to become more mobile, and my mom. I haven't been sleeping well. I gained more weight than I did with Pat. I can't think clearly because of all the stress. I know that it is physically showing how stressed I am" Gabriella said.

"Gabriella, baby, look at me" Troy said gently.

Gabriella looked up at Troy.

"I am more attracted to you now than I have ever been. It has been a rough year and I would jump into bed with you right now if it was safe, but it's not. Your body needs to heal. You are the most beautiful woman in this world" Troy said.

Troy put his hand on top of Gabriella's. Gabriella cleared her throat and nodded. She started to walk away.

"When we get the okay, I promise that we'll have lots of sex" Troy said.

"It's not just about that" Gabriella said.

"Then what is it?" Troy asked.

"The closeness…the affection. Yeah, we tell each other we love one another and we do things for each other. But it's not the same. There's something missing" Gabriella said.

"I know. But think of it this way, this is like when we first started dating before we even had sex" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly.

"I told you that I love you way before that" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Thank god mom went out that night and didn't come home until midnight" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Everything is fine, sweetheart. We just have to be a little creative" Troy said kissing Gabriella's cheek.

Gabriella nodded. A couple months later, Olivia was five months old. She could sit up by herself and was a total daddy's girl. Patrick was about to turn three and was very attached to Gabriella. One day, Troy walked into the house and smiled when he saw Patrick running towards him. He knelt down and caught him.

"Hey Pat, did you miss me?" Troy asked.

Troy was called in at eleven PM the night before and hadn't gotten home until now.

"Daddy, where did you go?" Patrick asked.

"I went to work. A lot of people were really sick and I had to help them feel better" Troy said.

"Oh" Patrick said.

Patrick then ran into the living room.

"How bad was it?" Gabriella asked holding Olivia on her hip.

"So many people. Two patients with punctured lungs and then one thought she was having a heart attack" Troy said.

"Well I am glad you are home" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. He kissed Gabriella's lips and Olivia's head softly.

"Why don't you go back to bed, Troy?" Gabriella asked.

"I think I will do that" Troy said.

Troy walked upstairs and went into the master bedroom and grabbed a clean set of clothes and walked into the bathroom. He took his shirt off and saw a pregnancy test box on the sink and he raised his eyebrow. Troy took his shower and walked downstairs. He didn't want to ask about the pregnancy test yet because he wanted to see if Gabriella would tell him on her own. Troy walked over to Gabriella and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Kids taking their nap?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" Gabriella said.

"I found something upstairs in the bathroom" Troy said starting the conversation.

Gabriella looked down at her hands and folded them and rested them against her body.

"I wanted to talk to you about it after the kids went down for bed tonight" Gabriella said.

"But we haven't had sex" Troy said.

"Troy" Gabriella said calmly.

Troy looked at Gabriella.

"Sit down so we can talk about this" Gabriella said softly.

Troy sat down at the kitchen table. Gabriella sat next to him.

"The pregnancy test was there because I was trying to find a way to start a conversation about having another baby. I know that we've gone through a lot with Olivia. But, we always said we wanted to have a houseful of kids. I just didn't know how to start the conversation without you getting upset or stressed out" Gabriella said.

Troy placed his hand on Gabriella's hand.

"I wouldn't have gotten upset if you had brought it up, Brie. Yeah, we have gone through a lot with Olivia. But, that doesn't mean that you can't talk to me about having another baby" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"So, let's talk about it" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Later that night, Troy walked into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He looked down at the pregnancy test that was still sitting on the counter. He and Gabriella had talked for a while about the idea of having another baby. Even though Troy didn't say no, Gabriella got emotional, which stopped the conversation. That was an hour ago. He finished up in the bathroom and walked into the bedroom and stripped down to his boxers. Troy walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. He kissed Gabriella's head softly and left the room to go sleep in the living room. The next morning, Troy was in the backyard shooting hoops. He had called Jack and told him that he needed to talk to him about Gabriella. Troy heard the gate open and Jack walked into the backyard. He looked at Jack and smiled slightly.

"You don't look like you've slept. What's up, son?" Jack asked.

"Brie is trying to talk about having another baby" Troy said.

"How do you feel about that?" Jack asked.

"I want to. I have always wanted to have a bunch of kids. But, I'm scared this time" Troy said.

"What are you scared of?" Jack asked.

"I'm scared of something happening like what happened with Olivia. I also don't want to make Pat feel like we aren't paying attention to him" Troy said.

"Troy, you couldn't have prevented what happened to Olivia. Pat loves Olivia. He talks about her all the time when he's been over at the house. Things have been rocky, Pat knows that you both love him though" Jack said.

"Then there is Maria" Troy said throwing the ball towards the hoop and missing.

"Maria can deal with me from now on. You've always protected Gabriella. She doesn't need to hear the arguments between the two of you" Jack said.

"I just don't want something bad to happen" Troy said.

"Then you need to talk to her about that, Troy. Tell her how you feel" Jack said.

Troy nodded. That night, Troy walked into the kitchen and leaned against the doorway.

"Brie, can we talk?" Troy asked gently.

Gabriella gave a soft smile and nodded.

"Yeah. What's wrong?" Gabriella asked.

"The reason I said what I said last night was not because I didn't want to have another baby with you. There's just a lot that we need to consider before we make a final decision on whether we truly want to do this or not" Troy said.

"What do we need to consider?" Gabriella asked.

"Pat. When something happened with Olivia, he was always taken to mom and dad's. Then there is Olivia, who just had open-heart surgery. I don't want something like that to happen again. Lastly, your mom and all the fighting and stress" Troy said.

"So, you don't want to?" Gabriella asked.

"I want to…I'm just scared" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at her husband. Troy looked down, avoiding eye contact.

"Troy, look at me" Gabriella said.

Troy looked up at Gabriella. Gabriella placed a hand on both of Troy's cheeks.

"Can you tell me why you are scared?" Gabriella asked.

"I just don't want something bad to happen. I want peace. For you, me, and the kids" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"And that's okay. I'm scared too, Troy. If you don't want to, you can tell me. I won't be upset" Gabriella said.

"I want to" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I want to wait until we have a better handle on everything though" Troy said.

"I agree. Plus I'm still on restriction so I can't even do anything" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled slightly.

"First thing we need to do is figure out the whole spending time with each kid thing" Troy said.

"I know" Gabriella said.

"Next, we have to make sure everything is healed when you go see Dr. Fields" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Gabriella asked.

"Gabriella, since we started dating we have talked about having kids. We both had said that we wanted to have a big family because we were the only child. I want to do this. If something happens, we will figure it out" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"I'm with you, one hundred percent" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled and wrapped her arms around Troy. Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

"I love you too" Troy said.

A couple weeks later, Troy was walked out of the OR at the hospital and sighed. He had lost his patient, who had been having issues with blood flowing out of the heart. She was sixteen. When Troy had first met her a couple weeks prior, she reminded him of a future Olivia. When she flat lined, Troy's mind raced and his hands shook. It hit too close to home. Troy walked upstairs to his office and sat down at his desk and sighed. He picked up his phone and dialed Gabriella's number.

"Troy, what's wrong?" Gabriella answered.

"How do you know something is wrong?" Troy asked.

"Because it's nine AM" Gabriella said.

Troy took a deep breath and released it.

"I lost a patient today. She was sixteen" Troy said.

"I'm sorry baby. Are you okay?" Gabriella asked.

"A little anxious. But, I'll be okay" Troy said.

"You were thinking of Olivia" Gabriella said knowingly.

"Yeah" Troy said.

"Are you sure that you are okay? Maybe you should come home" Gabriella said.

"Maybe I'll come home for a little while and then come back" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

An hour later, Troy opened the front door and kneeled as Patrick ran into his arms. He lifted his son up and set him on his hip.

"Hey buddy, where's mommy?" Troy asked.

"Changing Olivia's diaper" Patrick said.

"Okay. Were you good for mommy?" Troy asked.

"He was" Gabriella said answering for her son.

Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled. He leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.

"Are you okay, Troy?" Gabriella asked.

"If it was Olivia and Brooks had come and told us something happened, I would have lost it" Troy said.

"I know. But, it wasn't her. She's fine" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. The couple switched kids and Troy held Olivia in his arms.

"I love you so much baby girl. I will never let anything happen to you" Troy said kissing his daughter's cheek.

Gabriella smiled. A couple weeks later, the phone rang and Troy picked it up.

"So, a thought came to me" Gabriella said as her voice filled the phone.

"What thought is that?" Troy asked.

"Should I get checked out to see if something can happen if I do get pregnant?" Gabriella asked.

"We're talking like six months from now?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. If we know that it's possible, then maybe we can decide not to try" Gabriella said.

"That's going to take time Brie and there is a lot of testing involved. I know that you are worried, but I think doing that is going to make you upset if we find something" Troy said.

"So then we just try?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded. But then realized that Gabriella couldn't see him.

"If something comes up, we will figure it out" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled into the phone when he heard a gurgle.

"How's she doing?" Troy asked.

"Fine. She was screaming earlier. She gets her hunger gene from you" Gabriella said.

Troy chuckled.

"How's Pat doing?" Troy asked.

"Fine. I let him feed Olivia by himself today" Gabriella said.

"How did he like that?" Troy asked.

"He was scared but he tried to keep his cool. When are you coming home?" Gabriella asked.

"Soon. I just have some paperwork to finish up" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

"Alright. I'll see you in a little bit" Troy said.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

"I love you too" Troy said.

That night after the couple put the kids to bed, the phone rang. Gabriella picked it up.

"Hello?" Gabriella answered.

"Gabi" Maria said.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. Troy saw this and sighed. He knew that Maria was on the line.

"Did you change your mind about therapy?" Gabriella asked.

"Yes, I am going" Maria said.

"No, mom. I told you specifically that you needed to go my therapist with me. Not to get a therapist for yourself" Gabriella said.

Gabriella started making big hand movements to release her frustration. Troy put his hands on Gabriella's arms and lowered them to her sides.

"Relax, baby" Troy whispered.

"We are just going to argue, Gabi" Maria said.

"That's the point! She is there to help us get through it. Together. How are we supposed to fix this situation when we are going to two different therapists and neither of us want to go to?" Gabriella asked.

Olivia started crying. Gabriella closed her eyes. Troy walked away and went to see what was wrong with Olivia. Twenty minutes later, Troy carried Olivia into the kitchen and saw a frustrated and emotionally exhausted Gabriella.

"How did it end?" Troy asked kissing Gabriella's forehead.

"Going around in circles until she had to go" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. Gabriella looked at Troy. She opened her arms and Troy placed Olivia into them.

"Hi baby girl. I'm sorry mommy woke you up" Gabriella said.

"Pat is still asleep" Troy said.

"He's got his daddy's sleep gene" Gabriella said.

Troy chuckled.

"Before I was a doctor" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly. The couple went into their bedroom. Troy took Olivia out of Gabriella's arms so that she could change into her pajamas. Gabriella got into bed and took Olivia back into her arms. She pulled down her shirt and brought Olivia up to her breast. Gabriella smiled as she watched Olivia consume her meal. A couple months went by, Olivia was eight months old and Patrick had started preschool. Patrick loved his teacher and had made a few friends in his class.

"Mommy" Patrick called as he and Troy walked into the house.

Troy had picked up Patrick on his way home from work. Gabriella poked her head into the entry way of the house and smiled.

"Hi baby, how was school?" Gabriella asked.

"His teacher said he fell. Also, she said that she will be returning the work that he's been doing in class in a couple of days" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Can I have a kiss?" Gabriella asked kneeling down.

Patrick ran into Gabriella's arms. Gabriella looked at her son and kissed his cheek.

"I love you" Gabriella said.

Patrick giggled.

"I love you" Patrick said.

Gabriella smiled. Patrick ran away from his parents and into the living room. Gabriella looked at Troy and smiled.

"How was the hospital today?" Gabriella asked.

"Nothing too crazy. A lot of pre-op appointments" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She walked closer to Troy and leaned in and kissed his lips.

"How was Olivia?" Troy asked.

"Mom said she was fine. But, she only slept for an hour during her nap" Gabriella said.

"She's probably going to go down early tonight" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. The rest of the day, the little family relaxed around the house.


	26. Round 2

A couple months later, Gabriella walked into the house and smiled when she saw Troy rocking Olivia to sleep. He looked up and smiled. Gabriella walked over to Troy and kissed his cheek softly.

"Did she just fall asleep?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded.

"I changed her and she passed out by the time that I came downstairs" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled.

"Is Pat still taking his nap?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah. He got hit at school today. His teacher said that the kid who hit him apologized" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"He's okay though?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded.

"He's fine. A little upset. But, fine" Troy said.

"Did anyone call?" Gabriella asked.

"No. Were you expecting someone to call?" Troy asked.

"My mom maybe. But, I guess she didn't" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"I'm sorry honey" Troy said.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Don't be. This is on her" Gabriella said.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips softly. The next day, Troy was in his office at the hospital working on patient files. Nicole stuck her head in the door.

"Troy" Nicole said.

"I don't have any more patients today" Troy said.

"Troy" Nicole repeated.

Troy looked up and saw the serious look on Nicole's face.

"What's up?" Troy asked.

"Don't freak out yet. Brooks called the office and told me to find you as soon as possible. Something's going on with Olivia. Gabriella tried to call but the call failed" Nicole said.

Troy's eyes widened. He got up and grabbed his phone and didn't see any messages or missed calls.

"Where are they?" Troy asked.

"In peds. Second floor. 2134" Nicole said.

"Thank you" Troy said running out of the office.

Troy caught the elevator and pressed the second-floor button. He started to take deep breaths to try to calm himself down. Troy didn't know what was going on. Olivia hadn't had a complication with her heart up until now. He was pulled out of his thoughts when the elevator door opened. Troy walked to the room that Nicole told him. He knocked on the door softly and heard Gabriella's voice. Troy walked into the room and Gabriella fell into his arms.

"I'm here baby. I'm here" Troy said holding Gabriella in his arms.

Troy looked up and saw Dr. Brooks. He reached out one of his hands and shook his colleague's hand.

"What happened?" Troy asked.

"She got an infection. She will be alright. We need to treat it and keep her here until it's cleared" Dr. Brooks said.

Troy took a deep breath and released it.

"It's common, Troy" Dr. Brooks said.

"I know. I guess I thought everything was fine because she had gone so long without a problem" Troy said.

"We will give her antibiotics and see how she responds to everything and we will take it from there okay?" Dr. Brooks said.

The couple nodded.

"I'll be back in a little while to check on her" Dr. Brooks said.

"Thanks Brooks" Troy said.

Dr. Brooks smiled sympathetically and left the room. Troy looked down at Gabriella.

"What happened baby?" Troy asked cupping Gabriella's cheeks.

"She looked like she was having hiccups. But when they didn't go away an hour later, I got scared. I tried to call but it wouldn't go through" Gabriella said.

"You did the right thing, Brie" Troy said.

Gabriella took a shaky breath.

"I was so scared, Troy" Gabriella said.

"I know. But now we know what this thing is and we are going to fix it" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy put his chin on top of Gabriella's head and held Gabriella in his arms.

"Where's Pat?" Troy asked.

"With your parents" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded. Several hours later, Dr. Brooks had started Olivia on antibiotics and the couple was waiting to hear how everything was progressing. Gabriella was going in and out of sleep. It was seven o' clock in the evening. Troy looked down at his emotionally exhausted wife. He picked up his phone and texted his mother and asked if she or Jack could bring a bag of clothes for both of them. Troy didn't want to leave Gabriella. An hour later, there was a knock on the door. Lucille stuck her head in. Troy smiled sympathetically and motioned to be quiet because Gabriella was trying to fall asleep.

"Baby, mom is here. I'm going to go talk to her outside for a minute okay?" Troy whispered.

Gabriella opened her eyes and looked into Troy's. Troy smiled and kissed Gabriella's forehead softly.

"I'm going to go out to the hallway for a minute to talk to mom. I'll be right back okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"You go back to sleep. I'll be right outside the door" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy got up carefully and covered Gabriella more with the blanket that had been given to them. Troy and Lucille walked out of the room. Lucille handed Troy the bag.

"Thank you so much" Troy said.

"What happened, Troy?" Lucille asked.

"Olivia got an infection in her heart. Dr. Brooks put her on antibiotics" Troy said.

"How did that happen?" Lucille asked.

"She's a baby. Her immune system is not like Pat's was. She has very little immunity to infections" Troy said.

Lucille sighed.

"How is Gabriella holding up?" Lucille asked.

"A little emotional. But, that was expected" Troy said.

Troy and Lucille talked for a few more minutes. Troy walked back into the hospital room and saw Gabriella sitting up in the spare hospital bed.

"Mom brought us a couple days worth of clothes" Troy said holding up the bag of clothes.

Gabriella nodded.

"Why don't you go back to sleep, Brie?" Troy said.

"I can't sleep" Gabriella said.

Troy put the bag down. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge.

"Babies get infections all the time. Especially ones like Olivia. You did the right thing by bringing her in" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"Pat never gets infections. He gets colds. But, that's all. This is just completely new for me" Gabriella said.

Troy placed his hand on top of Gabriella's.

"I know. It is for me too. But, things like this happen all the time. She is getting antibiotics and she will be fine" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded and yawned.

"Go back to sleep okay?" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy got back into bed and Gabriella snuggled into his chest. The next afternoon, Troy was finishing up his appointments for the day. Dr. Brooks knocked on the door. Troy looked up and smiled.

"How's my girl today?" Troy asked.

"Troy, we need to discuss some things" Dr. Brooks started.

Troy nodded.

"I've been watching how Olivia has been reacting to the antibiotics and the problem hasn't improved" Dr. Brooks said.

"So, we try something else?" Troy asked.

"The tests that I have ran have all been pointing to one thing" Dr. Brooks said.

Troy took a deep breath and released it. He knew what Dr. Brooks was going to say. Troy didn't want to even think about how Gabriella would react to it. He rubbed his face.

"I know that it's a stressful situation and you know that I wouldn't recommend it if I wasn't absolutely sure" Dr. Brooks said.

Troy nodded.

"I got to go home and talk to Brie. Prepare her" Troy said standing up and getting his stuff together.

Dr. Brooks nodded. An hour later, Troy walked into the house and smiled when he saw Patrick run over to him.

"Hey buddy. How was preschool?" Troy asked his son.

"He's been learning how to draw pictures" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. Gabriella handed Troy the paper with Patrick's drawing.

"You did this?" Troy asked his almost two-year old son.

Patrick nodded.

"I'm so proud of you, Pat" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled. Patrick walked away and played in the living room. Troy stood up and looked at Gabriella.

"I need to talk to you about something" Troy said.

Gabriella looked at Troy and saw the serious look in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Gabriella asked.

Troy motioned for Gabriella to sit down. Gabriella sat down and looked at Troy.

"Dr. Brooks came to my office today. She wanted to give me an update on how Olivia was doing" Troy started.

Gabriella nodded.

"She hasn't been responding to the antibiotics. She's run tests and said that all of them are pointing to the same thing" Troy said.

"Which is what?" Gabriella asked.

Troy put his hand on top of Gabriella's. Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Troy, you are scaring me" Gabriella said.

"Brie, Dr. Brooks needs to do surgery again on Olivia" Troy said.

Gabriella's eyes filled with tears.

"Sweetheart, talk to me" Troy said putting his hand on top of hers.

Gabriella took a shaky breath.

"She was fine" Gabriella said shakily.

"I know. Sometimes things happen baby and we can't control them" Troy said.

Gabriella wiped a tear that was running down her cheek. Troy put his arm around Gabriella and kissed her head softly.

"We will get through this" Troy said.

"I am going to call your parents and my mom and let them know what's going on. Dr. Brooks came to you and told you?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded.

"Why couldn't she have made sure that both of us were at the hospital so she could tell us together instead of having you tell me?" Gabriella asked.

"Because she knows you now, Brie. She knows that the first person you look to for advice or to ask for another opinion is me. I didn't really agree with her reasoning since she should have told us regardless. But, if you heard it from me we could talk about it. See how we feel about it" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"Let me call our parents and let them know the update and we can talk" Gabriella said.

"Okay" Troy said.

Gabriella called her mother and Troy's parents and explained what was going on with Olivia. An hour and a half later, Gabriella walked into the living room.

"Everybody on the same page?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded. She sat down next to Troy and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Did she tell you when she wants to do it?" Gabriella asked.

"No. But, when we go in to see her tonight or tomorrow, she will talk to us about it" Troy said.

Gabriella sighed.

"Do you want to go over there now and get it over with?" Gabriella asked.

Troy smiled sympathetically.

"Let's sit here for a while and let everything sink in. We don't need to go over there and demand answers or anything like that" Troy said.

"I wouldn't do that to her, Troy" Gabriella said.

"I'm not saying you would. These types of things have an emotional component" Troy said motioning to Gabriella's tearstained face.

Gabriella looked down. Troy placed his hand on Gabriella's leg.

"It just needs to sit for a little bit. Maybe tomorrow would be better" Troy said.

"Would she get worse in a day?" Gabriella asked.

Troy shook his head.

"The way she's monitored, it would be caught in no time. But, most likely nothing will happen. She's stable right now" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded.

"And if anything happened we would be notified" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly. Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy's waist and buried her face in his neck.

"Let's get some sleep okay? Tomorrow is going to be a long day" Troy said.

"Okay" Gabriella said.

The couple went to bed. The next day, Gabriella arrived at the hospital and smiled when she saw Troy already in Olivia's hospital room holding their daughter.

"Hey" Troy said.

"Hey" Gabriella said.

"Dr. Brooks just came by and said she would be in soon" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. She leaned down and kissed Olivia's head.

"I love you baby" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. An hour later, Gabriella and Troy walked out of the hospital and drove home. Dr. Brooks and the couple talked about Olivia and the whole surgery situation. Gabriella had gotten emotional, as Troy expected. He was upset too. But Troy knew that they had to do what was best for Olivia. Troy was pulled out of his thoughts when he arrived home. He walked into the house and smiled at his mother, who had been watching Patrick.

"Is everything okay? Gabi walked in looking really upset" Lucille said.

Troy nodded.

"Olivia's surgery is next Tuesday. Brie is emotional right now" Troy said.

"Do you want me to take Pat for the night?" Lucille asked.

"I think that would be best. Plus, it would make it easier for tomorrow" Troy said.

Lucille nodded.

"She will be fine, Troy" Lucille said.

Troy smiled sympathetically. A couple minutes later, Lucille and Patrick left the house. Troy walked into the bedroom and saw Gabriella pacing.

"Sweetheart, do you want to talk about it?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked at Troy with tears in her eyes.

"How did this happen?" Gabriella asked.

Troy sat on the edge of their bed. He motioned for Gabriella to sit next to him. Gabriella walked over to Troy and sat next to him, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"This is what life will look like for her, baby. Everyday is different. Luckily, we caught it before it became a big problem" Troy said.

Gabriella took a deep breath and released it.

"Why don't you go take a nice, hot shower? I think you will feel a little better after" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded. An hour later, Gabriella emerged from the bathroom looking a lot better than earlier that day. She climbed onto the bed, where Troy was on his computer. Gabriella leaned her head against Troy's shoulder.

"How was your shower?" Troy asked.

"I feel a little better" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled.

"Good" Troy said.

Gabriella smiled slightly. She took Troy's computer off his lap and closed it. Gabriella placed it on the floor. Troy looked at her confused. Gabriella moved back to Troy and straddled him, kissing his lips. Troy kissed back and placed his hand on the small of Gabriella's back. Gabriella pulled away slowly and rested her nose against Troy's.

"Brie" Troy said softly.

"Troy, I need you" Gabriella said softly.

"I don't want to hurt you, babe" Troy said.

"You won't. It would be good for you and for me" Gabriella said.

"I don't want to take advantage of you, Brie. We're emotional" Troy said.

"I want this" Gabriella said.

Troy nodded.

"You stop me if anything-" Troy started.

"I know. Thank you" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled slightly.

"I love you" Troy said.

"I love you too" Gabriella said.

Clothes were discarded. The couple made love…not once…not twice…but several times that night. The next morning, Troy woke up and smiled when he saw Gabriella sitting up in bed, reading emails on her phone. He kissed her bare shoulder softly.

"You okay?" Troy asked softly.

Gabriella looked away from her phone and nodded. She placed her hand on Troy's cheek.

"I'm fine" Gabriella said softly.

Troy smiled.

"When do you want to go over to the hospital today?" Troy asked.

"In a little bit" Gabriella said putting her phone down and laying back down and snuggling into Troy's bare chest.

Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella and kissed her shoulder. The couple lied in bed in silence. It wasn't awkward. They were thinking the same things.

"She's going to be a strong girl once she is older" Troy said randomly.

Gabriella smiled slightly and nodded.

"The strongest. Just like her daddy" Gabriella said.

"More like her mom. Maybe this happened for a reason" Troy said.

"But what reason?" Gabriella asked.

"Maybe based on her struggles, she can help others that are going through the same types of things" Troy said.

"Maybe" Gabriella said.

A couple hours later, the couple walked into ICU and smiled when they saw Olivia. They put on their protective gowns and Nicole and Troy carefully placed Olivia into Gabriella's arms. Troy and Nicole made sure that all the monitors were still attached and working properly. Nicole then left the room to give the couple some privacy.

"She looks a lot like you today" Gabriella said.

Troy smiled. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Brooks came into the room.

"Hi guys" Dr. Brooks said.

"Hi" the couple said.

"So what's the plan?" Gabriella asked.

The couple and Dr. Brooks discussed Olivia's treatment plan and surgery details. A week later, the couple walked into ICU and saw that Olivia was already being prepped for surgery. Dr. Brooks went over the surgery plan with the couple. Troy and Gabriella both kissed Olivia and were escorted to the waiting room. A couple hours later, Gabriella was sitting in Troy's office. They needed to get out of the waiting room. Olivia was still in surgery. Troy was working on progress notes when the phone rang.

"Bolton" Troy answered.

Troy listened to the caller and nodded. A couple minutes later, he hung up.

"It was a nurse calling to tell us that Brooks wanted to make sure that she got all of the infection and there wasn't anything else" Troy said.

"She's still in surgery?" Gabriella asked.

Troy nodded. Gabriella sighed. She got up and started pacing. Troy looked up from his notes and stood up. He walked to the front of his desk and stopped his wife in her tracks.

"Brie, she's just making sure she got everything. Why don't we go down to the cafeteria for a little bit?" Troy said.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Babe, you need to eat something" Troy said softly.

Gabriella let her tears fall. Troy knew that she was trying to stay strong for Olivia. He held Gabriella in his arms. Gabriella cried and tightened her grip on her husband.

"I'm just worried" Gabriella mumbled through her tears.

"I know baby. But, she is in good hands. When she's out of surgery, she's going to need her mommy. To be there for her, you need to make sure that you are okay" Troy said.

Gabriella nodded slowly.

"Let's go" Gabriella said quietly.

Troy smiled slightly. He took her hand in his own and the couple walked to the cafeteria.


End file.
